Just Another Face
by Junebugsm
Summary: Stef and Callie meet when Stef raids a street filled with underage prostitutes, one of them being Callie. The young girl finds herself attached to the cop and seems to need her like she hasn't needed anyone in over five years.
1. Chapter 1

**Stef and Callie meet when Stef raids a street filled with underage prostitutes, one of them being Callie. The young girl finds herself attached to the cop and seems to need her like she hasn't needed anyone in over five years.**

(Almost every story about Stef and Callie involve Stef chasing after Callie and Callie trying to keep her distance. Now, I toss things up - Callie is just another teenager that Stef barely notices in the crowd of over thirty of them but Callie feels an almost immediate connection to the cop and longs to be near her.)

* * *

Luck had run out for Callie Jacob just two weeks after her tenth birthday. First she lost her tooth and not in the sense that it just fell out and she put it under her pillow but that she actually lost it - she was running around the backyard when it popped out of her mouth and she couldn't find it anywhere. A few days later she had a terrible cold and had to miss her best friend's summer pool party and the day after that her five year old brother accidentally knocked over her goldfish bowl, killing the poor creature. So Callie had realized that she was on a streak of bad luck but what she didn't know was just how bad and for just how long this streak would last.

Five years later to the day, Callie was standing against a lamppost on the street - in a cheap, glittery sequin dress she'd picked up at a thrift store, high healed boots that were badly scuffed and held up with a safety pin and way too much makeup for a girl her age - waiting for a car to pull up and buy her services for the night. If she was lucky it would be an older guy looking for a quick release before heading back home to his wife. They were the kind who didn't expect too much, paid well and generally treated the girls nicely. The younger lot were more into self pleasure and tended to want a lot more for their dollar.

Callie and two of her friends who were all standing together perked up when they heard a couple of cars drive down their street. They quickly straightened their hair and clothing, ready for a night of work but once again luck wasn't on Callie's side when the cars in questions suddenly began flashing their red and blue lights as the cops tried to corner the prostitutes.

Callie ran as fast as her worn-out boots would carry her. The only thing she had going for her was the fact that she knew these streets way better than the cops did and if she could just get into the small alley between the two buildings up ahead then she could slip between the dumpsters through a hole in the wall and hide in the empty building until it was safe to come out. Callie was just a few feet away from the alley when she took a chance and looked behind her, hoping to find that no one had followed her but not only was someone following her but they were just a step or two behind and the moment Callie slowed down to glance behind the cop grabbed hold of her and tried to slow her down.

"Let go of me." Callie yelled as she yanked her arm back as hard as she could. The short sleeve of her flimsy dress ripped instantly and Callie was able to slip away from the cop's grasp. She ran as fast as she could but even she knew it was no use for in less than five seconds the cop had caught hold of her again.

"Let me go." Callie yelled again as the cop tried to force her to the ground. "I said let go." Callie yelled again as she whirled around and slapped the cop straight across the face, surprising herself. It was only then that Callie was able to actually take in the cop she was fighting against. The woman had blond hair and green eyes and looked just as shocked as she herself was. It took a moment for Callie to realize that this was her chance and she once again spun around and tried to make a run for it but the woman was

quick to react and and caught her again trapping her arms behind her back and forcing her to the ground.

As Callie struggled against the handcuffs that were being put around her wrists she realized that even with all of this the cop was still being gentle. Callie wasn't in any pain, she wasn't being smashed into the concrete sidewalk and the restraints weren't too tight. Callie stopped struggling and turned as much as she could to look at the woman again and she was surprised to see kindness and sympathy in them instead of judgement and power that she'd expected.

"Here, let me help you up." The woman said gently as she noticed Callie trying to turn and caught Callie under the arms and helps her to the standing position.

"FOSTER." Someone called out and the cop turned towards the voice. "Need help?"

"I got her." She said before turning back to Callie. "Come on love, let's get this over with." She said as she led Callie back to the car she'd first been so excited to see.

Callie sat in the back seat watching the cops talking to one another and they tried to cuff a few more girls that were putting up a better fight than Callie had.

"They deserve what they have coming." Another officer said as he tossed a jacket at a girl whose boobs were practically hanging out of her dress.

"They still deserve some love." Stef replied, glancing back at the girl in her car. "At the end of the day they are still just kids and they probably have nowhere else to turn."

"You have to let me go." Callie said to the blond cop who was standing right outside her window waiting for her partner so they could drive off. "Please." Callie practically begged, forcing the woman to turn around and actually look at her.

Callie had to make it home tonight. She couldn't afford not to for she had to make sure her brother woke up, got dressed, had breakfast and made it to school on time. She couldn't leave it up to him for he was just barely nine years old.

* * *

Stef sat at her desk with the teen girl in front of her. She had asked several questions but the only thing the girl said was that she had to get back home. She refused to give them any details and Stef was beginning to lose hope. She knew that by tomorrow half of these girls would be back on the street. There was just nothing they could do. Those who'd committed a crime in the past would be in the system and could be identified but the rest would go unnoticed and it looked like this brunette in front of her would be one of them.

Stef walked the youngster back to the holding cell with the rest and then pulled out another one, ready to go through the whole process once again with another kid that was way too young to be working the streets and that would probably give absolutely no information about who she was and where she'd come from. All these girls were just random faces that would soon be forgotten. Each cop would do what they could but in the end, the girls would be released.

* * *

Callie ran as fast as she could managed. She was about twenty minutes away from home and Jude should have been ready to leave for school already. She knew she would have to keep him home today and claim that he'd been sick for there was no way she'd get home in time. She was just fortunate that a male officer had come early to release the girls. Five of her friends had been arrested for previous crimes but the rest of them were free to go with warnings that if they were caught again then they wouldn't be released. But Callie knew that was just a lie for with no record, they would be forgotten and the next time this happened they would receive the same warning.

"Jude" Callie called as she entered the small one room apartment she rented in a rundown building in a slightly better part of El Cajon.

"Where were you?" Jude asked, tear streaks still visible on his face. "I thought you left me." He wailed.

"No, never." Callie said as she pulled the boy close and held him tight. "Work just ran late and the buses weren't running anymore. I'm sorry, I should have called but I thought I'd be home ages ago." She lied. Jude thought she worked the night shift at a diner a few miles down the freeway and she had no intentions of ever letting him know the truth.

"You can't leave me." Jude wailed into Callie's dress, her provocative attire going unnoticed by his innocent eyes.

"Never. I promise." Callie replied, holding him tight. She was suddenly thankful that she got home late and had to keep him home from school. It would give him a chance to settle down again and get over his fear of losing his sister.

* * *

"Hey love." Stef called as she entered the kitchen to find Lena cleaning up the breakfast dishes. "Sorry I missed breakfast."

"Good morning." Lena smiled and handed Stef a cup of coffee. "You got home pretty late." She commented, studying Stef's tired face.

"Um." Stef nodded as she took a sip of the ambrosia her wife had poured her. "We arrested a bunch of girls down at El Cajon." She explained.

"Oh no." Lena groaned, hating even the mention of that area.

"Some of them were so young." Stef said, a distant look in her eyes as she remembered some of the girls. "A few were arrested for drug trafficking, two tried to make a break for it at the station and we had drag them back. Another just kept begging me to let her go, like she had a kid to get home to or something and one looked like her face had been used as a punching bag." Stef sighed and added softly. "The youngest was a thirteen year old runaway."

Lena listened as Stef shared her night. She knew it was one way for Stef to let go of some of the things she saw and dealt with at work. It couldn't be easy for Stef to see those girls and not be affected by it all and when things were particularly dangerous or gruesome Stef kept it to herself. But things like this were shared just so that the burden was less.

"I'm sorry honey." Lena smiled sympathetically as she began rubbing Stef's shoulders to release some of the tension. "What can I make you for breakfast?" She asked, bringing a small smile to the blond's lips.

* * *

"Today was awesome." Jude smiled as he stuck a huge bit of cotton candy into his mouth, his face covered in a pink, sticky mess.

"I'm glad you had fun." Callie smiled as the two walked down the pier past a few more food and game stalls.

"Can we ride the ferris wheel again?" Jude asked hopefully, knowing that Callie didn't often allow him to spend money the way that they had today.

"You go." Callie agreed. "I ate one too many hotdogs and I just might throw up." She said as she handed him a dollar and took what was left of his cotton candy. She took a seat on one of the empty benches and watched as her brother climbed into one of the passenger cars, ready for his ten minute ride. Just a few minutes at the pier and he'd long forgotten about his frightening morning and the smile hadn't left his face since. Callie waved as the wheel started and soon her mind was lost in the past and how they got to where they were now.

* * *

 **Author's Note** :

New AU that's been in my mind for a while. I'm not giving up on **Girl Next Door**. I appreciate all the support for that story but I definable plan to continue. I just need some time to figure out the outline and where to go with it. This story is already in my head so I decided to get it down. I don't know how long it will be but at least I have something to post while I brainstorm the others.

This is a sort of different take on how Stef and Callie meet. Callie is just another face in a sea of faces that Stef comes across everyday - that it, until Stef realizes that the girl is around a lot. I hope you like it and suggestions are welcome - though I do have some things planned out already.

Thanks for the reviews, reads and support. It's amazing to hear just how much faith you guys have in me. I especially want to thank those who review almost ever chapter of every story with actual comments and support and I want to remind all of you writers out there that just because someones stories are good doesn't mean yours aren't too. Mistakes happen to the best of us and those of you with English as a second language are doing fantastic (You know who you are). Keep writing for I guarantee someone somewhere is enjoying it.

Loads of love.

Junebug.


	2. Chapter 2

_Callie remembered gripping her brother's hand tightly in her own as they entered their very first foster home. The Seagal's had been nice enough but alas, they were just temporary. The older couple with three grown kids of their own only helped out when required. They were not in any position to take on two young children on a permanent basis._

 _Next they went through a string of homes that just didn't quite fit. Callie was abused in one of them; Jude was bullied by the biological son in another; the third got pregnant soon after the Jacob siblings moved in; the fourth claimed that Callie was making sexual advances on their son; one of them weren't granted adoption rights simply because the universe seemed to be against them all and the last one had accidentally forgotten about them and gone on vacation for over two weeks, leaving a fourteen year old alone to take care of herself and her eight-year-old brother. The two had then been moved to another home but after the first time the foster father threatened to beat Jude for 'crying like a little girl' Callie decided that enough was enough._

 _The young girl took her little brother and they ran. She had absolutely no plan but she figured anything was better than being stuck in the system that seemed to take enormous pleasure in torturing them. She'd already been taking care of Jude for the better part of four years and so she was pretty confidant that she would find a way to do it. The only worry Callie really had was money and once she got her hands on some of that then she was sure that things would be okay. It was still early June and so she knew that for a week or two they could make do with sleeping in archways and alleys while Callie made some money._

 _She started with a few small jobs like cleaning cars and offering to pull the weeds from people's gardens. This gave her just enough money for food for the two of them. Through all this, Callie made sure that Jude was going to the public school with a firm warning to lay low. Callie would drop Jude off at school and then find odd jobs for the next six hours and then pick Jude up from school. The two would hang out in various places for a couple of hours, get dinner then find a place to bunk out for the night. This plan worked for almost a month but slowly things began to slide there as well. First Jude brought home a letter saying that he had lice and needed treatment immediately; a few days later he failed his math test and was recommended for extra help classes and then the biggest issues arose when a teacher noticed Jude's unclean clothes and that his lunches mostly consisted of stale crackers or dry bread. At this point Callie_ _knew she needed something more - she needed a proper job that would give her a steady wage._

 _Callie's first real job was cleaning the bathrooms in a shady diner that was mostly filled with truckers. She worked there for exactly two weeks, got her first salary of twenty-five dollars and then tried for something better. She began wearing a cardboard sign for a hotdog stand and then washed dishes at a Chinese restaurant and even swept the floors at a hair salon. But three months later, by early September, the two were still sleeping in building entryways and washing up in diner restrooms and Callie knew that she had to do something drastic soon or else they would really be in trouble. The nights would start getting colder soon and Jude needed a proper place to sleep._

 _A few days later Callie thought that her luck was finally turning around when she walked passed a small bakery and saw a sign telling her that they were hiring. Callie put on the only jacket she had, brushed out her hair and washed up her face and then walked in, trying to look just a couple of years older. The lady was sweet as she interviewed her and Callie felt like they had really hit it off. She offered her a cupcake and a cup of hot cocoa as Callie fed her one lie after another about her name, age and experiences. The lady offered Callie a decent salary, had her fill out an employee form and told her to come back the next day and start. With a huge smile on her face, Callie picked up her uneaten cupcake and walked to the playground where she'd instructed Jude to wait for her._

 _But the following day as she walked towards the bakery she saw the woman talking to two police officers, her employee form being passed between them. Callie wanted to cry as she turned around and ran as fast and far as she could and that's when she realized that she couldn't take these risks any longer. She'd seen the girls on curb just two streets over and knew that she was now desperate enough to ask for their help and so that night Callie found herself in the back seat of a fancy car, between a random stranger's legs while Jude slept on a blanket behind a dumpster in an alley._

 _Within two weeks Callie had bought Jude a new jacket and could even afford to pay rent on the apartment they now shared with the work friends she'd made. By the end of a month she'd sent Jude to school with a warm jacket, a brand new backpack and five bucks for lunch. She'd found a way to provide for them and though it wasn't ideal, it was a living and that's what they desperately needed._

* * *

"The view was great." Jude's voice interrupted Callie from her thoughts.

Callie smiled at him as she got up and the two began walking back the way they'd come, towards the exit. Jude describing vividly, each and every thing he had seen from the top of the ferris wheel.

"It was like I was flying up there." Jude said, his eyes sparkling. "I could see the ocean and there were boats out there. The beach up near San Diego looked so clean and someone had a pool in their back yard. The city didn't look so bad from up there. Next time you have to come with me."

"I promise." Callie smiled. She couldn't help but feel relieved that she was still able to do these things with Jude. If she ever got arrested, permanently, then Jude would be left to fend for himself and Callie knew she could never let that happen. She'd lay low for a while and stay away from that street until a bunch of the other girls returned and then she'd go back. Her record was still clean and she intended to keep it that way.

Callie was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't noticed the couple stopped right in front of her. "I'm sorry." Callie mumbled to the woman she'd accidentally banged into as she watched her turn around.

Callie's heart nearly stopped and she was sure she'd turned as white as a sheet as the cop from the night before looked back at her with a warm smile.

"No harm done love." The blond said, patting Callie on the shoulder and giving Jude a sweet smile. "I should have stopped on the side."

Callie didn't know what to say for her mind was reeling. She didn't know what to think. On the one hand this was the woman that had arrested her and thrown her in jail for the night and could very easily ruin their entire lives but on the other, she was nice and kind and had been even as she was cuffing her and escorting her to her cell. Callie hadn't had much experience with cops in the past and the little that she'd been told wasn't good but something about this woman told Callie that she was different and that alone made Callie want to get to know her.


	3. Chapter 3

Callie dropped Jude off at school and then stood on the sidewalk wondering what exactly she should do. Since she was avoiding the streets for a few days just to be on the safe side she had managed to sleep all night. Usually Callie would get home around three in the morning, sleep for a few hours before getting Jude up and off to school, she'd then head back home for a few more hours of sleep before going to her day job at the grocery store where she bagged items at the checkout counter until it was time to pick Jude up again.

But today Callie was free and so she looked up and down the streets before walking around aimlessly. She walked down one road after another passing beautiful homes with gorgeous front lawns and expensive cars in the driveway and then down roads with rundown apartments with graffiti and spit stains on the walls and people standing around smoking weed and snorting coke. She passed the four-storey department store with automatic doors and then past the streets where vendors sold their good on handcarts on the side of the roads. She looked into the window of a restaurant where the tables had actual tablecloths and the servers wore white gloves and then past a fast food joint where flies were sitting on an unfinished burger left on a table.

Callie continued to walk for over an hour, just taking in her surroundings, until she found herself outside the Police Department. Callie couldn't help but look around for the cop that had arrested her. She knew it was crazy but she couldn't forget the gentleness and kindness the woman had shown her even as she arrested her. Callie watched cops come and go, most were men but not one of the few women she saw was the one she was looking for. Callie finally left to grab something to eat before heading to the grocery store for her shift.

* * *

"And so my group made a kaleidoscope and we get to display at the the state science fair on Friday." Jude chattered excitedly as Callie walked him home.

"That's fantastic baby." Callie smiled proudly at him. "I'm so proud of you." She ruffled his hair lovingly.

"You're gonna come right?" Jude asked, hoping that his sister would take a day off from work to join him.

"Of course." Callie assured. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." She promised. Her day job was just a cover and it gave her something to do while Jude was at school. The job that really earned the bread was the one she did while Jude was soundly asleep - not that she'd ever tell him that.

"Great, it's at the community sports field and I have to be there by nine." Jude informed her.

Callie nodded, letting him know that she'd get him there on time and then proceeded to ask him questions about his project.

"So what do you have to do?" Callie asked, genuinely interested in this project.

"We display our kaleidoscope and then we have parts for a few more so we can demonstrate how we made it. The backboard has a writeup about kaleidoscopes and the different types and it's surrounded by various geometric patterns that you see through the glass." Jude explained professionally. "Did you know that the kaleidoscope was invented like two-hundred years ago?" He questioned.

"I didn't know that." Callie smiled at his enthusiasm, glad that for once he was genuinely excited about something for school.

* * *

Over the next two days Callie kept herself busy. The first day she cleared up their apartment and got rid of any clothes that were too small or too worn out and then made a list of what they would need to buy. The next day she went on a hunt to find a present for Jude to show him just how proud of him she was. She knew he was working extra hard to try and keep up with his classmates and she wanted him to know that she noticed. School had never been easy for Jude - for starters he was small for his age and very timid which made him an easy target for teasing and bullying; he wasn't a very good student and so he was always playing the catchup game; and ever since they had run away, he'd been forced to lay low and avoid unnecessary attention which meant that he couldn't fall too far behind or do too well incase the teachers started really noticing him again.

Callie tried her hardest to give Jude as normal a life as possible and that became a whole lot easier once she found a way to make money. She sent Jude on all the field trips and occasionally packed a bag of candy for him to share with some of the kids to keep them from bullying him too much. She would check his homework each night before bed to make sure that he wasn't doing too badly. She tried her hardest to teach him instead of just doing the work for him but sometimes even she found it difficult. He was struggling most with math and history - the two subjects that dealt exclusively with fact rather than skill and he needed more help than she could give him. Callie was trying to save up for some special classes but even she didn't make that much money.

Callie knew that this wasn't going to last forever - eventually someone would catch them, or Jude's school would want to meet his parents for something or they would notice that he only had his sister; maybe Callie would get arrested again and things could really go wrong or maybe she would finally age out of the system, make enough money to get her GED and then get a real job and never have to live like this ever again. One way or another this was only temporary but she was definitely going to make the most of it while she could.


	4. Chapter 4

Callie sat and watched Jude explain the steps to make a kaleidoscope for what seemed like the hundredth time now and she felt like she was going to scream. It wasn't that she wan't proud of her little brother but there were only so many times a girl could listen to the same thing over and over again before it drove her crazy.

"I'm gonna go walk around and look at the other exhibits." Callie said as she quickly got up and walked away before she had to watch another kid tape some mirrors together.

Callie walked around and observed some of the other displays. There was a group who'd made a hot air balloon and another that talked about the human body. One group had made a solar system so well it should have been displayed in a museum or something. As Callie walked around she spotted a girl that was making a simple rice dish using only solar energy. With a grin Callie walked on over, hoping to get something to eat.

"So you see we can conserve up to sixty percent of our natural resources if we use solar energy to cook some of our food." The girl explained. "The sun is an inexhaustible source of energy. It's free, it's available everyday and it results in less pollution and while it does take a little longer to cook, it preserves nutrients that would otherwise boil away on a gas stove." She continued with a passion that showed that she actually believe in what she was saying.

The girl began handing out small plastic bowls of the rice she'd cooked and Callie thanked her as she took one as well. She looked down and found a heap of rice along with some peas, diced carrots and potatoes. She cautiously took a bite and had to admit it tasted delicious. The girl had obviously added some seasoning and a dash of lemon and this simple dish had become a meal.

"You did a great job." Callie praised with a smile as she took another bite but froze when someone walked up and added to Callie's comment.

"You really did." The blond woman agreed as she walked up to the stand holding hands with another woman with a curly brown bun on the top of her head.

Callie watched the woman hug the young Latina and kiss her head lovingly. She was in civilian clothes today but she still had that same air of confidence along with the gentle tone and loving eyes.

"Thanks mom." The girl smiled before turning to receive a hug from the other woman as well.

"You know what this means don't you." The second woman teased. "You get to take on kitchen duty from now on."

The girl smiled and teased back. "Sure mama, I'll just tell my teachers that I couldn't finish my homework because my moms made me the resident chef." She said.

Callie couldn't help but stand and stare for the more she found out about this woman that she should be terrified of, the more she wanted to just run and hug her.

* * *

Stef knew she was being watched for the girl had stood in the same spot and stared at her for a good five minutes now. But what she couldn't figure out was why. She seemed somewhat familiar but Stef just couldn't place her. The girl looked a little lost and maybe a little scared as well but what really captured Stef's attention was the look of longing on her face - like she desperately wanted to be a part of something so loving and real as this family.

"Almost time for my speech." Lena said, glancing at her watch. "Let's go get the boys and head to the podium."

"Okay love, you two go on ahead and get the boys and I'll meet you at the seats in a few minutes." Stef instructed, noticing the girl turn quietly and walk away. "Save me a seat please." She instructed her daughter, watching them walk away.

Stef then turned back to the retreating girl and watched as she carefully covered her plate of rice up with the napkin she'd been given. There was barely five or six bites in that plate; nothing really worth saving so carefully. As Stef watched she began to realize that this girl needed something. She was either homeless, had a less than ideal home-life or she had a child to feed; possibly even a combination of them.

Stef sighed and shook her head as the girl disappeared into the crowed and then turned to go and join her family.

* * *

"Education is one of the most important aspects of childhood." Lena said into the microphone to the crowd. "In fact, it is important throughout your life. A person learns something new every day. Education is a requirement for almost any job; it enables you to understand more about your environment. You need to have basic math skills for the simplest tasks; you need language on a daily basis. Having an education enables you to make better health or medical choices; financial decision; parenting choices that will give your children a better life and these are just a few of the benefits of a good education. You have the power to make the changes you want in the world. You are the future and I urge you finish your education. Find a dream and work as hard as you can to achieve it and slowly, one person at a time, the world will change. You have the ability to make your life what you want. It doesn't matter where you were born or who you were born to; each and every one of you have a talent, a gift, an ability that will help you succeed." She paused here for a moment, waiting to make sure she had everyone's attention. "Don't quit." She urged. "No matter how hard it gets, how difficult, boring, unnecessary you might think it is; keep at it and I promise you that one day it will all be worth it and when that day comes I hope you remember me, just in case my beautiful face isn't enough." She ended, earning a laugh from the audience. She knew that with that, a lot of the kids around her would remember her words but sadly a lot of them would forget and those were the ones that Lena would think of often - the ones whose futures lay hanging in the balance.

 _Easier said than done_ \- Callie thought to herself as she watched the curly haired woman get off the podium and join her family. If Callie decided to go back to school for eight hours every day she would really be screwed and so would Jude. She worked nights and so she needed half the morning to catch up on sleep. After that she had a day job which gave her a small but steady income for her other job could swing both ways - like right now for example, she couldn't work until more girls returned to their spot. After school she had to take care of Jude and help him with his homework, cook for them and make sure they both had everything they needed. She didn't have the time to worry about homework and projects of her own. No, she couldn't afford to go back to school right now - if she had any chance of getting Jude through all of this without making him sacrifice too much then she had to continue the way she was going. After that, if she was lucky, maybe she could consider getting her GED.

* * *

On Saturday Jude's science teacher had invited the whole class for a pizza party for doing so well at the science fair and so Callie didn't have to take him with her to work. She headed to the grocery store ready for her shift. It was a mundane job - she put the groceries into either paper or plastic bags for a couple of hours, broke for a short twenty minute break and then continued for another three hours. Nothing very exciting would ever happen apart from the usual arguments between customers and cashiers. Only twice since she'd started working here six months ago did she ever come across a thief and both times the people were caught by their own security, which seemed pretty boring and lame to her.

But today was different, not that Callie knew it as she grabbed an apron and tied it around her uniformed waist. She went to clock in and just as she stuck her finger on the thumbprint slot she heard a scream and someone yell 'gun'.


	5. Chapter 5

Callie was sure she was going crazy for the first thought she had when she saw the man hold a gun to the cashier's head was excitement. She hoped that the cop she'd grown attached to would show up and save them all. She wasn't supposed to be happy that their situation required the police and her first thought most definitely shouldn't have been the woman but instead her own life; her brother; their future. She should have been thinking about how to get out of this so that she could go home otherwise Jude would be left all alone in the world with no one to look out for him. Sure, she shared a room with two other girls and while they were _friends_ she knew that neither of them would take on Jude as a permanent dependent. They were willing to watch him from time to time and even dropped him to school once or twice when she'd had a particularly long or bad night but beyond them it was each on for themselves.

The sound of sirens pulled Callie out of her thoughts and as she looked around she could see the gunman with his blond hair and maroon t-shirt standing on top of a stool, pointing his gun at the manager who was trying desperately to talk him down. All around her customers and employees were lying on the ground in panic while a child wailed from one of the aisles and a woman who was crying hysterically while a few people tried to calm her down. Callie glanced behind her and saw one of the other baggers, a skinny, pimply, sixteen year old boy with red hair and freckles biting down on his knuckles as he tried to keep it together. But while Callie was scared and worried she was also waiting in anticipation, sure that any minute the blond maternal figure would walk through the door and save them all.

And sure enough the door opened and four police officers entered but much to Callie's disappointment they were all male. She waited and watched the door as the officers aimed their guns at the gunman who, by now, looked defeated and outnumbered. She continued to watch for more officers as the man was dragged down from his vantage point, cuffed and lead outside. She lay their waiting while the people around her began to shakily stand up as the shock and relief began to set in. But she never came and while Callie was now safe and free she still couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"Does anyone need medical attention?" One of the officers called out. "Is anyone hurt?"

"No." The manager answered. "He never fired; wasn't even sure what he was demanding exactly."

"Didn't seem planned." One officer said to another as they wrote things down in their books. "Is he a regular customer?" He asked the manager who glanced around at his other employees for answers.

"We have grief councilors down at the station if anyone feels the need to talk about what happened." The third officer called out. "They are there to just help you deal with this incident or refer you more permanent therapists should you need or want it." He explained. "If any of you would like to meet with them, please come forward and we will take you back to the station.

Now Callie knew for sure that she was going crazy as she found herself walking forward along with a few others including the woman who had had a panic attack and the bag boy behind her. The incident had shaken them all up but Callie was only going in hopes of seeing one person in particular - and it wasn't a grief councilor.

* * *

Stef knew that there was a gunman at the grocery store and that Mike had been one of the officers at the scene. She knew that the situation was now under control and that they were heading back with the gunman and a few of the victims as well. But what Stef didn't expect was to she the same young girl from the science fair walk in as well. The girl was looking around as though looking for something in particular. As the teen glanced through the room their eyes finally met and Stef couldn't deny the look of pure relief when Callie saw her.

Stef was completely confused. She had no idea who this girl was or where she'd first seen her. She remembered her from the science fair but she was sure she'd met her somewhere before as well but she just couldn't place her.

Stef watched as the group was lead into the social services part of the department and made a mental note to ask the social worker for some information on the girl. It was clear that she was actively seeking her out now and if she needed Stef's help in some way then she was going to find a way to give it. But what Stef didn't see was the girl sneak back out of the building once she'd gotten what she'd come for.

* * *

On Monday during Stef's lunch break she headed to the grocery store hoping to find this mystery girl. She wanted to know more about her and after she'd learned that the teen never actually met with the councilor she was more sure than ever that it was _her_ she'd come to see.

Stef walked up and down the aisles looking for the teen and finally spotted her smiling sweetly at an elderly man as she packed up his purchases. She observed the child and noticed that behind those friendly eyes and beautiful smile there was a sadness that was far too deep for a girl her age. On a whim Stef grabbed the first item she found off one of the shelves and headed to a checkout line three rows over from the girl. As she waited in line she pulled out her pen and quickly jotted down a little note on the back of the macaroni box.

"I don't need a bag." Stef told the red-headed boy. "But do me a favor please, give this to that girl over there." She pointed towards the teen before walking away.

* * *

"What's this for?" Callie asked as she took the box in confusion.

"Dunno." The boy replied. "Some cop asked me to give it to you." He said with a shrug as he walked back to his post.

Callie felt her face pale as she quickly glanced around for the cop in question. But she was nowhere to be seen and so Callie glanced back down at the box and noticed the note.

 _If you need something don't hesitate to call. I'd be happy to help._

 _619-555-3302_

 _-Stef_


	6. Chapter 6

Callie couldn't concentrate that night. It was her first night back on the streets and she was definitely disappointing her client. He was a new guy; someone she hadn't been with before and so he didn't know that this was just an off day.

"You expect me to pay you a hundred bucks for that?" The guy asked in annoyance when Callie choked and began to cough for the third time.

"I'm sorry." Callie mumbled again as she wiped her mouth clean. "I'm just having a bad day."

"Yeah well I'm not paying you for a bad day." The guy shot back. "Make this worth my while or you'll have to pay me instead." He ordered harshly as he stuck himself back into her mouth so far that she couldn't breath for a second.

Callie forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand and just barely managed to earn half her due but she knew that this guy wouldn't come looking for her again and if he ever came backwith friends then he would advise them against her as well. It was only one in the morning but Callie knew that there was no use trying again. She was just too unfocused today and she couldn't risk getting another customer mad at her.

Callie silently tiptoed back into her apartment and headed to the bathroom to wash up her face and change. The house was empty with the exception of a sleeping Jude but she still wanted the privacy and the time alone. As she soaped up her face to rid herself of the makeup her mind wandered back to the police officer. She wondered why she'd suddenly become so fixated on the woman. She'd hadn't ever really done anything for Callie but still Callie couldn't forget about her. But deep down Callie knew the answer - she reminded her of the one woman Callie had loved the most and lost far too early.

This woman was kind to her even when she was in trouble; she was gentle and sympathetic but at the same time she didn't condone unacceptable behavior. She was strong but loving and the way she interacted with her daughter made Callie more jealous than she'd ever been in her life. She wanted that so bad that she was practically stalking a stranger.

* * *

"Did you get a name?" Lena asked Stef as she pulled out some weeds from the garden.

"No." Stef answered over the sound of the hose in her hand. "I'm honestly not sure how to approach this. I don't want to scare her away."

"What do you think she wants?" Lena questioned. In the ten years that they had been together Stef had never had something like this happen at work.

"I don't know." Stef answered as she moved over to the next bed of flowers. "She obviously knows I'm a cop so maybe she needs help but she's afraid that I won't help her or that whomever she's scared of will find out. Why else would see come looking for me?"

Lena thought about the whole thing for a few moments before voicing another theory. "Do you think maybe it was just a coincidence?" She questioned, trying to make sense of the whole thing. "Maybe remembered you from the fair and then was just surprised to see you at the police station."

"I don't think so." Stef answered. "I can't really describe it but it was like she was looking for me there; like she knew I should be there."

Once again Lena tried to piece together the bits of puzzle they had even though most of the pieces seemed to be missing. "Well, you did say that you think you've seen her somewhere before; maybe she remembers you too." She suggested.

Stef turned to Lena then as they made eye-contact. That seemed to be the most logical explanation but the next question was _where had Stef seen her?_

* * *

The following night Callie once again found herself struggling to concentrate. She'd been struggling to do so all day actually. At breakfast she'd nearly burned Jude's omelette because she wasn't paying attention and then at work she was so busy keeping an eye out for the blond hair and blue uniform that she accidentally put someone's eggs into a bag and then a carton of milk on top of it, resulting in her having to pay for the broken eggs and clean up the mess she'd made. After school she'd barely managed to concentrate on Jude's history homework long enough to make sure that he got it done and now she was in the back seat of Mr. Daniels' car riding him cowgirl style but her anxiousness and preoccupation resulted in an unsuccessful union for both of them.

"Hey kiddo, my wife could cum faster than that and she'd almost sixty." Roger Daniels said as she slowly sat back up. "What's gotten into you today?"

"I'm sorry." Callie replied sincerely. At least Mr. Daniels was a kind old man who had been with Callie before and knew this wasn't always her. She was good and she deserved a brake on a bad day.

"That's okay love." The old man said as he dug through his wallet and handed Callie a twenty. "Another time." He said, basically dismissing Callie.

Callie climbed out of the car and watched it disappear around the corner before looking down at the twenty in her hand. She was a prostitute and sold her body for a living but this was the very first time she actually felt like a commodity. Never had anyone paid her so little for anything. It was like she wasn't a person anymore but an object; one that was broken at that.

Callie knew she had to do something soon. She couldn't afford to live on less than a hundred dollars a day. She had rent to pay and food to buy; she had to buy Jude clothes and shoes and school supplies and other home and personal essential and cheap but necessary clothes and makeup for herself. Condoms were another thing she always had to keep on hand along with a strip of the morning after pill, just to be on the safe side. All these things cost money and she desperately depended on the eight to nine hundred dollars she made each week and the two hundred and fifty bucks she made per week working at the grocery store. Eight hundred of that went into rent each month for her and Jude and another five hundred on food and other essentials like toothpaste, soap, tampons, shampoo, etc. She also religiously set aside, in a shoebox under a floorboard under her bed, a thousand dollars each month for Jude's future and another for emergencies. She never knew if and when either one of them would need medical attention or money for anything else instead and she wanted to be prepared. After all this Callie was basically left with less than a thousand dollars per month for extras like clothes, occasional gifts for Jude, trips to the fair or a rare treat.

But in the last two days Callie had only managed to earn seventy bucks and she knew she couldn't go on like this. She had to pull it together and get back on track or else she would desperately need some help. Then again, maybe the blond cop could help her.

* * *

"Was she there?" Lena asked as Stef entered the kitchen after work on Tuesday.

"I didn't go." Stef answered, referring to visiting the grocery store again. "I thought I'd give her a chance to come to me." She explained. "I don't want to push too hard and scare her away."

"What does she look like?" Lena questioned curiously. "I mean, how does she dress? Does she look clean? Fed?"

Stef thought about it for a moment before answering. These questions definitely were important for they would help them answer just what kind of life the girl was living.

"Decently dressed I guess." She answered. "The usual jean and t-shirts but they didn't look dirty or torn. She doesn't look starved; except for some love maybe. She looked more weighed down like she has some huge responsibilities or something."

"Well Hope and Kim was supposed to come over for dinner tonight but Kim's got the flu and I made pot roast and grilled vegetables so why don't you pack some and take it out to this girl tomorrow. Maybe she could do with a good, filling, home-cooked meal." Lena offered, knowing that Stef desperately wanted to help this girl.

"And how do you propose I do that?" Stef questioned. "I can't just hand her food like she's a beggar or a homeless person; that could be pretty insulting."

"Just leave it with a note." Lena suggested. "Offending her may be a small price to pay if it will truly help her." She offered kindly when Stef looked doubtful.

"Okay." Stef finally accepted and watched as Lena packed up a large portion of dinner for a girl who's name she didn't even know.


	7. Chapter 7

"So how was school?" Callie asked Jude as she picked him up after lunch. She had had an easy morning for she had taken the day off from work. San Diego schools had a teacher's conference after lunch and so every school let off early. Callie woke up at nine thirty like she usually did but didn't leave for work. Instead she had a lazy morning and then headed to school for Jude.

"Good." Jude answered. "I got to miss History today." He said happily, always hating that subject. But they gave us extra homework." He added with a sigh.

Callie laughed at him, always happy when he was just a kid without a care in the world. She was able to provide for him but she knew that it was far from a lavish life. Jude still had to be careful about letting anyone know that they had no parents and Callie had to be careful not to get into trouble for she was all that Jude had left. "Don't worry baby, I'll help you." She said.

"You know, you could just do it for me." Jude suggested hopefully. "You'll finish in like a half hour and we could have the whole weekend free." He offered.

"Not a chance." Callie ruffled his hair playfully. She was always determined to make Jude do his own work. He had to learn these things for she wouldn't always be able to do it for him.

"You suck." Jude complained good-naturedly just like a typical nine year old would when he didn't get his way.

"How about lunch and then some ice-cream instead." Callie offered. It was a special day and deserved a special treat. "Then maybe we can play our game."

"Deal." Jude agreed, happy with his consolation prize as the two skipped off towards the dairy section of the grocery store where Callie often took Jude for an ice-cream.

* * *

"Okay his name is Charles and his is a billionaire." Jude said later that evening, about a random man in a grey suit who had just come out of one of the houses.

This was a game they often played. Callie had started it when they were first living on the streets as a way to keep Jude's hopes up. They would pick random people and make up their lives or they would pick a random house and make up stories about the people inside. Sometimes they would try to guess what the house looked like from the inside or what they would change about the house to make it their own.

"What does he do?" Callie questioned, studying the man, trying to see if Jude's explanations fit.

"Um, he's one of those house selling guys." Jude replied, watching the man lock up his house and walk down his driveway.

"A realtor?" Callie confirmed.

"Yeah." Jude replied. "And he has a pool in his back yard." Jude decided.

"Family?" Callie questioned, observing the guy as they walked along.

But before Jude could answer the man climbed into a car parked on the street and disappeared. "Your turn." Jude said instead as he searched around for a person or house for Callie.

"Him." Jude finally decided, pointing to a boy playing basketball in his driveway.

"His name's Antonio." Callie said with a Mexican accent as the boy shot a basket from quite a distance without it even hitting the backboard. "He's going to win gold at the Olympics one day." She said easily after watching him.

"Are the gold medals real gold?" Jude questioned curiously, momentarily forgetting their game.

"Beats me." Callie shrugged as something caught her eye. The solar cooker girl from the fair walked out of the house and Callie's eyes nearly bugged out. She grabbed Jude by the hand and dragged him behind a car and watched.

"What are you doing?" Jude asked in confusion, having nearly lost his balance.

"Shh." Callie snapped without even looking at her bother as she watched the boy and girl.

"Mama's almost home and she said to start dinner." The girl ordered before turning around and walking back inside. The boy just shook his head as he tossed the ball aside and followed his sister.

"Who are they?" Jude questioned, realizing that whoever these people were; they were not just strangers to his sister.

"No-one." Callie answered, now observing the house that Stef probably lived in. "I'm just looking." She said as a car drove up and the same curly haired woman from the fair climbed out and headed inside. "Come on." Callie said, determined to leave before she was spotted by anyone; especially Stef.

* * *

Stef came back home from work that night with the tupperware box still in her hand as she put it into the fridge.

"What happened?" Lena questioned, wondering if Stef had been right about the girl being insulted.

"Wasn't there today." Stef answered. "My delivery boy said she didn't come in at all."

"Sorry honey." Lena answered, knowing that Stef was upset about it. When the woman's heart attached to something, it went all in and Lena knew that it hurt sometimes.

"I did learn her name though; Callie." Stef said with a smile. "She must be sixteen; seventeen tops. There's no way she's eighteen. Must have dropped out of school."

"Poor kid." Lena said sadly, always hating the fact that kids were allowed to drop out after sixteen. She couldn't understand why anyone would say it was acceptable. Don't give them that option and at least half the dropouts would finish high school.

"I just wish I knew more about her." Stef sighed exasperatedly. "I know she needs help but I don't want to push too hard. If I scare her away then I may never get the change to find out what she needs."

"Patience." Lena offered gently with a small smirk.

"Because _that's_ always been my strong suit." Stef replied sarcastically as they both laughed, knowing just how little of that Stef actually had.

* * *

On Saturday Callie had to make up for the day she'd missed and so she asked her roommate Debbie to watch Jude. Debbie was older than Callie by two years and she was just waiting to turn eighteen so that she could stop hiding all the time. She sometimes watched Jude for Callie as she never worked during the day. Their night job was all she had and she usually spent her days hanging out with friends getting high.

Debbie sat on the living room couch with a can of beer watching some silly TV show while Jude was trying hard to get his math homework done. Callie had made him promise to try and she'd correct it when she got back. But Jude was struggling miserably and it didn't help that the TV was way too loud and the work was just too hard and uninteresting.

Debbie's phone pulled Jude out of his misery and he looked up as she answered. He listened quietly as Debbie talked to someone about plans to go out.

"We'd have to leave now if we want to get there by four." Debbie said into the phone. "Well I can be ready in like ten minutes." She covered the mouthpiece with her free hand before turning to Jude. "You'll be okay on your own till Callie gets back right?" She questioned in more of a statement form.

"Sure." Jude answered, not really caring anymore. This was the worst Saturday ever so she wasn't going to help anyway.

"Great." Debbie said before heading to her room, her concentration back on her phone.

Twenty minutes later Debbie was gone. The TV was finally off and Jude could concentrate just a little bit more on his math homework. He managed to finish seven of the fifteen problems on his sheet but after that he was just too fed up to go on. He was bored and restless and he needed to do something besides sit in this apartment. Grabbing his shoes Jude headed outside, planning to just walk around for a bit before going back to his math. But suddenly Jude had another idea - Callie still had another three hours of work left and so he headed up town towards the fancier part of town to the house they had visited the day before.


	8. Chapter 8

When Jude got to the house he found the same boy playing basketball out front. He walked up to the opposite curb and sat down, watching. To Jude he looked like a professional the way he ran all over the place, dribbling the ball and shooting from every angle. He only missed a few baskets but he kept trying. Then suddenly he threw the ball so hard that it hit the backboard and bounced backwards across the road right to Jude.

"Toss it back." The boy said to Jude and Jude stood up, the ball in his hands and threw it but it barely made it even five feet across the road. "Come on kid, put a little more elbow into it." The big kid said as the ball rolled back towards Jude.

Jude picked it up again and tossed it harder this time and it just barely reached across the road. He smiled widely, proud of himself for his throw.

"Come here, I'll teach you." Jesus said and began showing Jude how to stand and throw the ball. It took Jude forty minutes and over a hundred misses before he finally got the hang of it.

"What's all the cheering?" A voice asked as a car drove up and a dark woman got out.

"Just teaching my new friend here my secrets." Jesus said as he wrapped his arm around the nine year old. "Jude, this is my mom Lena and my sister Mariana." Jesus introduced.

"Nice to meet you Jude." Lena smiled, slightly surprised that her fourteen year old was playing with a little kid.

"Hi." Jude smiled shyly, feeling pleased with himself at the same time.

"You boys look like you could used some lemonade, what do you say?" Lena asked, receiving a vigorous nod from her son and a shy smile from the stranger.

* * *

Soon the four of them were sitting around the kitchen table asking Jude about himself and telling him about their family.

"It's just my mom, my sister and me." Jude explained, just like he'd done countless times before. Callie had drilled the same story into his mind and as a result there weren't any cracks or flaws. "My dad took off when I was two and my mom works two jobs and my sister watches me until she gets home."

"How old is your sister." Mariana questioned, wondering what kid would spend her days watching her little brother.

"Seventeen." Jude lied like he always did.

"So you're like eight years apart? Wow." Jesus commented, it was the largest gap between siblings he'd ever heard of.

"She has a different daddy and my mom says she had her way too young, but she doesn't regret a day of it." Jude replied easily.

Callie had taught him just what to say in order to keep people from getting too suspicious. A teen pregnancy definitely didn't sound impossible and it accounted for a large age gap and saying that Callie was seventeen was more believable than trying to pass her off as an adult. She barely looked seventeen as it is and saying that she was eighteen was just too obvious. Seventeen was just old enough to be in charge of her brother without raising any red flags and as long as they kept their heads down and no one would doubt her for admitting she was technically underage.

"Wow, I don't think I could handle a kid." Mariana commented.

"Good." Lena teased as she placed a plate of sandwiches on the table. "Help yourself Jude, just don't ruin your dinner please, I don't want your mother upset with me before I've even had a chance to meet her."

Jude waited as Jesus and Mariana took some sandwiches and then timidly reached out for a turkey one himself. He couldn't believe the variety Lena had laid in front of them - there were plain cheese, ham and cheese, turkey and chicken salami.

"Our mom had us pretty young too." Mariana began as she ate her cheese sandwich. "But she was a druggie and had no idea how to raise two kids."

"Mariana." Lena chastised gently. This wasn't the type of conversation to have at the kitchen table with a guest; a nine year old one at that.

"I'm just saying; you're lucky your mom works hard for you guys." Mariana clarified. "I don't know what our lives would have been had we not found this home."

A silence fell over the table as each one thought about what Mariana had said. Even Jude, as young as he was, seemed to understand her. Though no one knew just how much he wished for a home like this as well.

* * *

Callie was frantic when she got home an hour and a half earlier than expected and found the house empty. She walked down to the corner store and used their phone to call Debbie who nonchalantly stated that her plans had changed and that Jude said he would be okay alone. Callie slammed the phone down in frustration wondering just where her brother had disappeared to. It wasn't like him to just take off like that and if at all he did then he would probably head down to the store, just two blocks from where they lived.

Callie searched up and down the streets for any sign of her little brother but she couldn't see him anywhere. She asked a few people she knew if they had seen him but no one seemed to have any idea where he was. Callie walked back to the store hoping that Jude had showed up there and they had just missed each other but no one had seen him there either but promised to hang on to him if he did show up.

A very worried Callie then walked back towards their apartment as she tried to figure out just what to do. She had never truly considered using the number on the macaroni box but maybe now was the time to change those plans. Just as she was contemplating the danger of involving the cops a small figure suddenly caught her eye.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" Callie yelled as she grabbed Jude by his backpack and yanked him towards her.

Jude was too shocked to respond. Callie had never looked this angry before and she never yelled at him like this either. He hadn't even been expecting her for another hour at least.

"Do you know how worried I've been?" Callie continued when Jude remained silent. "I've been looking for you for like half an hour now."

"Sorry, I just got bored." Jude mumbled, still a bit taken aback by his sister's behavior.

"Where were you?" Callie demanded fiercely as she marched them back to their apartment, her hold on his backpack unwavering.

"I went to that house." Jude answered softly.

"What house?" Callie questioned in confusion.

"The one from yesterday, with the kid playing basketball." Jude responded, expecting his sister not to care much.

But Callie stopped in her tracked and pulled on Jude's backpack until he was facing her again. "You did WHAT?" She asked in fiery surprise.

"Just to look." Jude defended.

"Jude, you can't go back there okay." Callie said firmly. It was one thing for her to cling to a cop but it was entirely different for a little kid to do that without raising red flags. "Promise me." Callie demanded.

"I promise." Jude mumbled, completely bewildered by this entire incident.

Callie seemed somewhat satisfied and continued their walk but stopped once again when Jude made his next statement.

"They were really nice though." He commented casually.

"You talked to them?" Callie asked in wide-eyed surprise.

"Yeah." Jude smiled slightly. "Jesus was teaching me basketball and then Lena and Mariana came home and Lena made us sandwiches and lemonade and Mariana taught me how to hold my sandwich so that all the filling did fall out."

"Wait, you went inside?" Callie confirmed, unsure of how she felt about all of this.

"Yeah." Jude answered, unsure of how she would react. "They invited me. And I told them about you and mom and the jobs and that you're seventeen." He added, hoping that would calm her down slightly.

"Was there anyone else there? A blond woman?" Callie questioned, nervous but anxious at the same time.

"No." Jude shrugged. "Just Lena and the twins."

Callie thought for a moment wondering if maybe she'd gotten her facts wrong. Maybe this wasn't where Stef lived and maybe Lena and her were both the girl's moms but maybe one of them was a step mother or something. Maybe the family she had created in her head was nothing but her imagination. But whoever they were, they were obviously nice.

"You said they gave you sandwiches?" Callie confirmed, now curious about Jude's experiences.

"Yeah." Jude said with a wide smile. "They sent back leftovers too." He added, pointing to his backpack where they were kept. "They're delicious."


	9. Chapter 9

"So we had a mystery kid ourselves today." Lena said as she cuddled up to Stef in their bed.

"You did?" Stef asked curiously, pausing her reading to listen to Lena.

"Umm." Lena nodded. "Nine year old just showed up and Jesus taught him how to shoot hoops."

"Wow." Stef smirked slightly, wondering what was so mysterious about this.

"I made them all sandwiches and he polished off three so fast you'd think he was starving." Lena commented. "I wonder what his family is like."

"What did he say?" Stef questioned, slightly curious but not too concerned. "I know you asked." She teased.

"Single mom, older sister, almost grown up watches him while mom works two jobs." Lena responded. "Nothing too shocking."

"Then don't read too much into it." Stef warned. "So he ate a lot. Remember Jesus at nine?" She questioned. "He could have eaten a horse and still had room for dessert."

"He still could." Lena laughed in response. "It's not fair that only you have a mystery to solve." She laughed at herself.

Stef smiled in response as she kissed Lena on the head as the two scooted lower in bed and she reached out to turn out the light. "You never know, maybe they are related and in desperate need of our help." Stef teased gently, amused at Lena's detective skills."

* * *

On Monday afternoon Callie was still thinking about Jude's encounter with Stef's family as she robotically packed bag after bag for each customer. She had grilled him on practically everything he'd seen or heard while he was there. She knew they had two kids who they had adopted but at the science fair Stef had mentioned _boys_ in the plural so was there another son or was he a friend she was referring to? She was pretty certain that Stef and the darker woman were together. Maybe Stef wasn't at the house when Jude went in but the way the two of them were together at the science fair made Callie certain of that fact.

"Hey." A voice pulled Callie out of her thoughts.

Callie looked up and her eyes went wide at the sight of the one person who occupied her thoughts almost constantly. She was just too shocked and dumbfounded to form a response and so she just stared back at the woman.

"Stef." Stef reminded her when the silence continued, even though she knew the girl remembered.

Callie looked around nervously for she was in the middle of work and the person talking to her was dressed head to toe in a police uniform - badge, gun and all.

"And you are... Callie." Stef confirmed what she'd learned the week before.

Callie nodded and pointed to the name tag she had pinned to her apron. "Um, thanks for the macaroni." She said, trying to be polite.

Stef smiled. "It wasn't as important as the message." She said gently, hoping Callie knew just how serious she'd been.

"I'm okay, thanks." Callie assured, looking the woman straight in the eye to show her she was being honest.

Callie handed Stef her bag, expecting her to just say goodbye and leave but much to her surprise Stef moved over a bit to give the next customer some space and continued talking.

"How old are you?" Stef asked curiously, thinking this girl was way too young to be working. She should be in school and having fun.

"Sixteen." Callie answered easily. She knew she had to be at least that to be out of school.

"No school today?" Stef questioned, already knowing that Callie was a dropout.

"I dropped out last term." Callie answered unapologetically. "School wasn't really my thing."

"And your parents were okay with that?" Stef questioned, eager to know more about this child.

"It's just me and my dad." Callie answered, making up a new lie since Jude was now involved with the rest of the family. The last thing they needed was to put the two together and go looking for who they were. "He's okay with it so long as I stay out of trouble." She added with a laugh, hoping to throw Stef off track.

"Well, it was nice to meet you Callie." Stef smiled, even though she wanted to stay and talk some more.

"You too." Callie smiled back. She was glad that Stef was done questioning her but at the same time she wished the woman would stay. She liked talking to her and she wished she could ask a few questions of her own.

"Remember, I can help if you need it." Stef added one last time before walking away, hoping that Callie knew just how serious she was. The girl had come looking for her and kept an eye out for her so obviously there was a reason for it. She just wished that the brunette had the courage to actually ask for it.

* * *

The next day Callie kept a look out for Stef. Each time the door to the store opened she would glance up hoping to see the uniformed cop but she never showed.

"You in trouble?" The older man at the cash counter asked when there are no one in their line.

"No, why?" Callie asked with a surprised frown.

"The cop, yesterday." The guy responded with a shrug.

"Oh, no." Callie quickly dismissed. "I just ran into her one day, literally, I was getting late going home so was running and I banged into her and she thought I was in some sort of trouble." Callie replied, hoping she sounded believable. "I guess she just came in and saw me so she came to say hi."

"Cool." The guy accepted her answer as he turned his attention back to a customer who'd just walked up.

Callie once again turned to look towards the door, hoping to see Stef come by again but she never did.

* * *

Meanwhile Stef and Lena were busy packing a bag for Stef to take to Florida. Stef had called Lena at work to let her know that her mother needed her and Lena had excused herself from work for a few hours to help Stef pack and take her to the airport.

"So what happened exactly?" Lena questioned, still uncertain about the events.

"Some guy outsmarted her, that's what." Stef mumbled in annoyance. "Apparently they met at a yoga class and they went out for coffee. They were talking and, i quote, having a fantastic time, when she went in to pay and by the time she got back he had taken her purse and run."

"Oh Sharon." Lena shook her head, both in sympathy and amusement. Things like this only seemed to happen to her mother-in-law.

"I need to go down there and cancel her credit cards and change her locks and help her file a report." Stef said. "God knows I can't trust her to do it all herself."

Lena smiled slightly as Stef zipped up her suitcase and they headed downstairs to the car.

"I'll only be gone a couple of days." Stef promised, her thoughts already on what had to be done in Florida while the teenage girl was the last thing on her mind.


	10. Chapter 10

On Wednesday Callie looked out for Stef again. She waited anxiously for the woman to show up so that they could spend a few more minutes talking. The sense of comfort and peace that Callie had felt on Monday was enough to make her crave Stef's attention. Each time the door opened she would turn excitedly hoping to see her but each time it wasn't the cop Callie felt like a little kid who's balloon had just popped.

"Earth to Callie." One of Callie's coworkers said while the two were on their break. "You better finish your smoothie, we only have like five minutes left."

"Sorry." Callie shook her head as she focused on the chocolate and peanut butter smoothie she'd barely touched in the last ten minutes.

"What has you so lost?" The girl asked curiously as she grabbed Callie's smoothie for a sip since hers was already finished.

"Nothing really, was just expecting someone to come in today, but they didn't." She answered casually.

"A boyfriend?" The girl asked teasingly, excited about some juicy gossip.

"Just a friend." Callie replied, once again glancing at the door as she heard it open.

"Guy friend?" The nineteen year old enquired.

"Nope, and before you ask me if I'm gay, she's about forty years old." Callie responded amused.

It had been a long time since she'd been this casual and carefree and she owed it to Stef. The woman's minimal attention had made Callie feel just a little bit more self-confident and self worthy. It helped that the people she worked with didn't know much about her life and no one knew about them being runaways for she'd told each of them the very same lie she told everyone - until she made up a new one for Stef.

"Kill joy." Callie's friend groaned as she handed back her smoothie and went back to work.

* * *

"Please Callie, please." Jude practically begged on Thursday afternoon. "There'll never be a day where I have no homework again and they said I could come back sometime."

"Jude, you don't know these people." Callie groaned, nervous about sending Jude back to that house, especially since Stef hadn't come to see her in two days.

"They aren't going to kill me Callie." Jude said dramatically. "I just want to play with Jesus again. He's really good and if I can play basketball then maybe the kids at school won't tease me so much." He reasoned.

Callie stared at her brother, knowing that he had a point. He was constantly teased for being 'too girly' and learning some tips to a popular sport couldn't hurt and neither could him having a friend and some fun. It also wouldn't hurt if they gave him something filling and health to eat again. Plus her ever-growing curiosity about the family added just that extra bit of motivation.

"Okay." Callie finally said, causing Jude to jump up and down in excitement. "Just remember, watch what you say." She warned clearly.

"I will." Jude replied confidently. This story had been repeated so often that Jude sometimes felt it was the truth. "Thanks Callie."

"Also, I'll pick you up at seven." Callie added. "I'll wait for you by the realtor's house." She explained, referring to the guy they'd described during their game.

"Okay." Jude agreed. Thankfully his nine-year-old self was too young to question why Callie didn't just come to the house.

* * *

"Jude, you're getting pretty good at that." Lena exclaimed as Jude shot his seventh basket in a row. "You been practicing?" She asked.

"Not really." Jude replied. "I can only get the close ones in and only from this angle." He pointed out.

"Still better than last week right?" Lena encouraged.

Jude beamed as he aimed and shot another ball and even though he missed the shot he was still pleased at the praise he'd gotten.

"You think you boys could take a break?" Lena questioned as she watched the boy pant heavily. "I have some groceries in the car that need to be taken to the kitchen and then some popsicles in the freezer just waiting to be eaten."

Jude smiled widely and grabbed a bag from the car and ran inside almost as though it was his own house.

* * *

"What are you making?" Jude asked as he sucked on his green apple popsicle and watched Callie paint a piece of chicken with a paintbrush.

"Lemon Mustard Chicken." Lena replied, dipping the brush back into the sauce. "Once I finish basting this I need to work on the salad and dessert, would you like to help me?" She offered, fond of the young boy.

Jude nodded excitedly and proceeded to finish up his popsicle at double speed. He had fun playing with Jesus but sports weren't really his thing and he was more than ready for a change.

Twenty minutes later Lena and Jude were sitting side by side - Lena cutting up the vegetables for the salad and Jude out rolling dough for the apple cinnamon rolls. Lena was asking Jude more about himself and this time Jude was asking almost as many questions as well. He now knew that there was a third kid who was always practicing the piano and a second mom but she wasn't home. He also learned that Lena was a vice-principal which surprised him slightly for he never thought a vice-principal could be any fun.

"So do you like yell at kids and stuff?" Jude questioned.

"Sometimes." Lena laughed in amusement. "I try not to too often though."

"My vice-principal's scary." Jude responded. "And whenever someone gets sent to his office you know they're in trouble."

"Which school do you go to?" Lena asked curiously.

"Johnson Elementary." Jude replied. It wasn't the best school in the area but it also wasn't too bad. The teachers were caring and dedicated and so far no one had brought a gun to school. "Where do you teach?" He asked back.

"Anchor Beach." Lena replied as she pulled the chicken out of the oven and then put a piece on a plate for Jude and handed it to him with a knife and fork.

"Where's that?" Jude asked, having never heard of the school before. He hungrily took a bite of the food, barely blowing on it to cool it down.

"Here, in San Diego. It's right on the beach." Lena smiled, fond of the school she worked for. She watched Jude carefully as she put the apple rolls into the oven to bake.

"Cool." Jude's eyes widened in excitement. "We have a playground." He offered like a consolation prize.

"That sounds fun." Lena smiled back, wondering how many things on that playground were in actual working condition.

* * *

"Did you eat anything?" Callie asked Jude as the two walked back home.

"The most delicious chicken ever." Jude responded. "And she sent back three apple rolls - one for me, one for you and one for our mom."

"Nice." Callie smiled, glad that Jude was full at least. It wasn't often that he got meals like this and she knew that ideally he should be getting more of it.

"I even got to help make them." Jude added proudly; his basketball accomplishments long forgotten.

"Was it just Lena and the twins again today?" Callie questioned curiously.

"Brandon was there too. He's like a piano pro." Jude explained. "He only stopped playing for like a minute to get some water."

"No one else?" Callie asked, wondering where Stef might have disappeared to. Maybe she was just working but then why hadn't she stopped by the store for two days?

"Nope." Jude responded and then added more information as an afterthought. "They have another mom but she wasn't there."

Callie sighed in frustration. She already knew she wasn't there - what she wanted to know was where she was and why she was suddenly keeping her distance.

* * *

That night Callie was back on the streets while Jude was sound asleep at home his stomach filled with nutritious chicken and delicious rolls. Callie had eaten one but then saved the last one for Jude to take to school the following day. She had to admit that the two times she'd eaten something Lena had made she had enjoyed it immensely.

Callie stood on the curb with two other girls waiting for someone to come and buy her services for the night. Business had finally picked up again after the raid less than two weeks ago and customers were now regular. She knew it wouldn't be more than a couple of minutes before someone showed up and she was ready - her hair and makeup were perfect, her condoms were on hand and her contraception pill was under her pillow.

"Here they come." One of the girls smiled seductively as a group of three young men pulled up towards them. "Ready to party?" She asked as she sauntered over to the car.

Callie followed, waiting for one of the guys to approached her but her mouth went dry and her heart beat faster when she noticed the same new guy from a week ago show up. After the performance she'd given that night she was sure she'd never see him again but much to her surprise, here he was, and to make things worse - he was drunk.


	11. Chapter 11

"There she is." The guy sang with a wicked laugh as he walked up to Callie and traced a finger down her cheek, past her jaw and down her neck to the neckline of her figure-hugging dress.

Callie shuddered in revulsion at the smell of beer on the guy's breath. She turned her face away but he used a finger under her chin to turn it back.

"Come on babe, I'm here to give you a second chance and those don't come around very often." He said with an icy evilness in his voice. "You said you were just having a bad day so now you can really blow my mind."

Callie glanced past him to the other two girls who were already heading into private corners to earn their pay and as Callie looked back at the John standing in front of her and thought she may as well get this over with. She had drunk, disgusting men before so she knew what she was getting into and at the end of it she'd get her hundred bucks and that's all that really mattered. So with a heavy sigh and a fake smile Callie lead the guy into the abandoned building where she found a quiet corner to do her business.

* * *

"Come on, that can't be the best you've got." He growled, raising his pelvis, pushing himself deeper down her throat. "I thought you were supposed to be good."

Callie clenched her fist in frustration as she resisted the urge to bite the guys dick off. She knew she was doing everything right but the problem wasn't with her, it was with him - he was too drunk to get a hard on and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Come on, Bitch." He yelled as he grabbed a fistful of hair at the back of her head and held her in place. "Or I'll really make you pay me this time."

But when Callie still failed to give him what he wanted he decided to take matters into his own hand. "Reach up and hold that rail." He ordered, pointing to the railing barricading the staircase.

"What?" Callie asked in confusion. But her eyes went wide as she watched him pull his belt out of his pants. "What are you doing?"

"Getting my kicks." He snickered as she grabbed one of her wrists and began tying it up to the rail.

"Wait." Callie tried to stop him as she pulled her arm back. But he held on really tight and wouldn't let go and pretty soon he was tying the second arm up as well. "Stop." Callie said fearfully, afraid of what he might do to her.

"Just a bit of role-play." He teased as he spread her legs apart and began rubbing himself up against her. "I'll be the master and you can be the slave."

He continued rubbing himself up and down her thigh and then kneeled in front of her, his crotch in line with her face. "Now let's try this again." He said as he pulled her head back by her hair and once again pushed himself down her throat.

Callie did whatever he asked and she didn't hold back, hoping that he'd finally get off and leave her alone. But the alcohol in his system was just too much and at the end of it all he was still hanging limp.

"You're useless." He spat as he finally pulled away in anger. "You don't deserve a damn cent."

He pulled up his pants and then roughly untied her hands and took back his belt, ready to leave.

Callie finally felt like she could breath again, excited that he was actually going to leave her alone. She no longer cared about the money - it wasn't worth it - all she wanted now was to never see this guy again. She gingerly glanced up to make sure he was about to walk away but suddenly he spun around and with a forceful swing of his hand he slapped her square across the cheek.

"That's for wasting my time." He growled before leaving.

Callie sat in the same position, shaking vigorously as she held her stinging cheek. She was far too shocked and far too scared to move. She'd met several types of men since she began selling her services but never once had anybody ever struck her like this and she was completely unsure about what to do. There was no one there to help; nowhere she could go; and she had no idea if this man would ever come back.

Slowly, after almost an hour, Callie began to stand and make her way out of the building. She needed some water desperately for her head was still spinning and her face was still stinging and she was afraid that she might pass out.

She made her way to the corner store - the short two minute walk took her almost ten for her legs felt like jello and her eyes just wouldn't focus properly. She grabbed a cold bottle of water and headed to the checkout counter to pay when the phone suddenly caught her eye.

 _If you need something don't hesitate to call. I'd be happy to help._

 _619-555-3302_

 _-Stef_

The words flashed in front of Callie's eyes almost as though the macaroni box was in front of her right now. She knew this was the time to take a risk and make the call. She needed the help and so far the woman hadn't been anything but nice to her. She was afraid that the guy would come back, that she wouldn't make it back to her brother and that he would be left to fend for himself and she couldn't let that happen. She needed Stef and Stef had already promised to help.

She quickly trapped the phone and began to dial the number that was already etched into her memory but her heart sunk even further and the last shred of hope she had left disappeared when the recorded message told her that the number she was dialing was unreachable. Little did she know that Stef was thirty-six thousand feet in the air, on her way back to San Diego.


	12. Chapter 12

"God, my mother is the most infuriating woman on the planet." Stef grumbled as she stripped herself of the clothes she'd worn on the flight home and added them to the pile of dirty clothes she'd taken out of her carry-on. "Even after all the drama, she's still making jokes about the whole thing like the guy just took of with her pen or something.

Lena smiled sympathetically as she picked up the pile of clothes from the floor and began sorting through them for the machine so she could start a wash while Stef stepped into the shower. "But everything's okay now?" She questioned, still concerned about the trouble her mother-in-law had gotten herself into.

"Yes." Stef replied over the sound of the shower spray. "I reported her credit cards stolen and they are issuing her some new ones. We also changed the locks on the house and got her a new cell phone. Her old one has been deactivated and the new one has her number now. But this guy still has a lot of information about her and he knows where she lives and she can't even tell me whether he was just interested in the cash or if he was after something else as well." She paused a moment as she rinsed out the shampoo from her hair and then continued to rant while she conditioned it and soaped herself. "I spoke with the police and they will keep an eye out for the guy. We got his name from the yoga class register but they aren't sure where he disappeared to. They checked his apartment but he wasn't there and his listed employer said he'd been fired over two months ago."

"What about Sharon?" Lena asked in concern. If this guy knew where Sharon lived could she possibly be in danger?"

"The cops said they'd keep an eye on her and her condo for a while as well." Stef answered, stepping out of the shower. "Thought she doesn't know that or else she'll be hitting on them next and we definitely don't need her pestering them."

"At least she's safe." Lena commented, knowing how frustrated Stef must have been. Her own mother often drove her crazy too but when they needed help, they had earned the right to it.

"She would be safer if she didn't do stupid things like this in the first place." Stef replied. "I mean who leaves their purse, filled with everything important, with a complete stranger?" She asked rhetorically. "And to top it all off, this guy is only like twenty-eight years old, what the hell is she doing with a kid that young anyway?" She asked in disgust.

Lena didn't comment then, she knew this was just Stef's way of venting and she had to admit that this guy was very young and maybe that itself should have tipped Sharon off but her mother was who she was and Stef knew that.

"She's pretty good at getting herself into these messes I just wish she'd work on getting out of them herself as well, instead of dragging me into it." Stef complained.

"I know it's frustrating, but at the end of the day she's your mother and she has nowhere else to turn." Lena reminded her gently.

Stef suddenly stopped what she was doing as a far off look filled her features - she'd heard the words that Lena had said but it was no longer her mother she was thinking about. She'd heard that sentence before and the face that came to mind was the one of a young girl with scraggly brown hair, soulful eyes and a heart-piercing smile.

 _"They deserve what they have coming." Another officer said as he tossed a jacket at a girl whose boobs were practically hanging out of her dress._

 _"They still deserve some love." Stef replied, glancing back at the girl in her car. "At the end of the day they are still just kids and they probably have nowhere else to turn."_

"Oh my God." Stef sighed in realization as she leaned back against bathroom counter. "She's a prostitute." She mumbled, more to herself than to Lena.

"You're mother?" Lena repeated in utter shock. She had no idea how Stef had come to this conclusion but she definitely hadn't expected to hear something like that.

"No, Callie." Stef explained her train of thought, still thinking about the girl and trying to figure it all out. "She was one of the girls we arrested down at El Cajon a few weeks ago. She kept begging me to let her go, like she had somewhere she had to be."

"I remember you telling me about that night." Lena said, also thinking back to what Stef had told her. "But what does this have to do with Sharon?" She questioned, still a little confused about how the topic had jumped so drastically.

"Jason Smith, the ass that he is, had said that those girls deserved what they got, like they weren't even people, let alone just children." Stef explained, thinking back to that night. "I remember telling him that those kids probably had no where else to turn." She recited Lena's line back to her, glancing back at her to convey the significance of her words.

"I remember you saying that one of those girls was only thirteen." Lena recalled, her heart aching at the thought.

"Yeah, but we tracked her parents down and sent her home." Stef answered, glad that that kid at least made it out okay. "Callie was there too. She had run at first but I managed to catch her and she kept begging me to let her go but she just refused to tell me why."

"So what happens now?" Lena asked, wondering what Stef planned. "You think she's still working the streets?"

"I'm pretty sure of it." Stef answered. "It would explain why she's always kind of nervous around me even though she obviously wants to talk."

"Maybe she wants a way out but doesn't know how to ask for the help." Lena offered, hoping that that was the case. She'd never met Callie but Stef had talked of her often enough lately for her to feel an attachment to the girl as well.

"Maybe." Stef replied, just as hopeful as Lena but a little less certain about it. "I'll go talk to her tomorrow and see what I can find out."


	13. Chapter 13

Stef spent the morning in a daze as she kept trying to figure out what exactly she was going to say to this girl; a girl she barely even knew but still felt very strong feelings for. Callie had basically captured Stef's heart in just a few weeks and Stef felt more than just job-related concern for her.

It was finally noon and Stef headed towards the grocery store, preparing to confront Callie. She had an entire speech planned; several actually, depending on Callie's reaction. She was ready to be gentle and supportive just in case Callie was scared but she was also ready to be forceful and authoritative if she became defensive or aggressive. Either way, Stef was determined to get Callie to see things her way and she usually got what she wanted.

But all plans and speeches flew from Stef's mind as she noticed the red fingerprints on the girl's face that she'd obviously tried hard to cover with makeup.

"Stef!" Callie said in surprise as she watched the woman walk up to her. After not seeing her for three days and then not getting through to her the night before she'd basically given up hope on ever seeing her again.

Stef just stood and stared at Callie, blatantly studying her cheek and that made Callie nervously cover it with her hand. She knew it was still red. She'd used a lot of unnecessary makeup on it, covering her other cheek in red blush just to balance it all out. But unlike her coworkers, Stef was a cop and had probably seen several cases of abuse and knew at once what it was.

"What are you doing here?" Callie asked, hoping to just pretend she was fine. If she could remind Stef about her original reason for being here then maybe she'd forget about Callie's face.

"What happened to your face?" Stef asked straightforwardly, staring at Callie straight in the eye, making it hard for the young girl to break contact.

"Um... noth... nothing." Callie stuttered, trying to think up a plausible excuse just in case Stef persisted, which Callie was sure she would be.

"Who hurt you Callie?" Stef questioned forcefully, unwilling to buy Callie's denials and excuses.

"No one Stef, really." Callie answered again though her tone was much more anxious than before.

With no warning Stef grabbed Callie's arm and pulled up the sleeve of the unnecessary sweater she was wearing, exposing the fingerprints and strap marks there as well. Twenty years of experience on the force had told her that abuse marks were usually in several places and often hidden under unnecessary clothing and makeup.

Callie stared down at her wrist as she began breathing heavily, trying hard to hold back her tears. She was too nervous to look anywhere but her own hand for she knew that now several coworkers and customers alike were watching them and probably giving her looks of sympathy that she wasn't ready for.

"Callie." Stef said softly but firmly, unwilling to frighten the girl but still desperate to keep her safe. "Honey, look at me." She encouraged as she gave Callie's had a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

Callie slowly looked up at Stef, her eyes brimming with the tears she was holding in. But Stef needed no words for those pain-filled eyes told Stef enough.

"Come on." Stef said as she began guiding Callie away from the small crowd that had gathered. She led them both outside and around to the back on the way to the dumpsters where they could talk in private. "Are you alright?" Stef began, hoping that Callie didn't need medical attention.

"I'm fine." Callie answered. "It's just a couple of bruises." She shrugged, already having forced herself to get over it.

"Who did it Callie?" Stef questioned again, desperately needing to know the truth. She couldn't bare to think that someone had hurt this child and gotten away with it. "Does it happen often?"

"No one Stef, I'm fine, I promise." Callie replied. "I'm not being abused by my dad or uncle or boyfriend or anything. It was just a one time fight with someone. No big deal." She shrugged casually.

Stef knew that what she was about to say next could possibly alter their relationship but she had to take a chance. She couldn't do anything officially for she had no proof but she needed to let the girl know that she knew the truth - if only so that she could finally admit it.

"Did one of your customers do it?" Stef asked bluntly, crossing her arms in front of her and planting herself firmly in the way of Callie's escape.

"For what, bagging their groceries wrong?" Callie practically laughed at the thought. She couldn't help but laugh at the thought of someone attacking her for mixing the cold products in with the dry ones.

"Not those customers." Stef responded, her face still holding the same firm and unamused expression as before.

It took a moment for Callie to actually register what Stef was saying for she had never expected Stef to say something like that. For one, she'd convinced herself that Stef didn't remember where they had first met because surly she wouldn't have befriended Callie in that case; and second, she hadn't expected her to dig so deep. She saw Callie with bruises and questioned her and Callie had already assured her that she wasn't being abused at home or anything. This was a one-time fight and it was over and it would never happen again.

But once the sentence did sink in to Callie's mind she became terrified and she quickly glanced around for an escape but there was none. Behind her were the dumpsters, to her left was the building, her right had a high chainlink fence and Stef was blocking the only opening straight ahead.

"Callie, what you're doing is dangerous." Stef warned fiercely, feeling utterly helpless that she couldn't officially do anything for Callie. "If one of those men hurt you I can help." She said, eyeing Callie carefully. "All you have to do is make a complaint."

As Stef watched Callie she saw the girl go from fear and nervousness to anger, just as she'd suspected. "There's nothing to complain about." Callie replied in an icy, bitter voice. "Besides, what do you care, I'm not your problem." She spat.

"I know it seems scary Callie." Stef continued. "I promise I will keep you safe. I can help you if you'll just let me." Stef replied, desperation sounding through her words.

"You don't know anything." Callie replied, realizing that Stef didn't have enough information or proof or whatever she needed or else she would have arrested her already. "You can't do anything so just leave me alone." She yelled and walked past the woman and across the parking lot, not caring that she was still wearing her apron or that her small sling bag with twenty bucks, a pack of gum and her apartment key was left behind.


	14. Chapter 14

"Is she in some sort of trouble?" The manager of the store asked in concern when Stef went in to get any information on Callie that she could.

"Yes, maybe." Stef answered the man. "Not with us." She clarified, not wanting them to get the wrong idea. "But she may need our help in some way." She explained. "So whatever you can tell me will be helpful."

The manager pulled out an employee file and set it on the table in front of Stef. "She's only a part-timer so we don't have a lot of information; just the basics." He said apologetically.

Stef opened the folder and pulled out the one sheet that was in there. She glanced over the only information on it - Callie's name, age and a phone number. Under previous experience she'd written _none_ and available working hours she's written _only between ten and three._

Stef quickly pulled out her cellphone and dialed the number on the form and after speaking with someone for a few moments she realized that Callie had given a fake number - one to a mechanic down in Spring Valley.

"This is all you have?" Stef confirmed, somewhat disappointedly. She'd hoped to get an address along with some proof of where she lived. Now she was beginning to wonder if Callie was even the girl's real name.

"I'm sorry." The manager apologized. "We don't worry too much about the part-timers because they usually only stay a month or so - summer jobs or after school. Callie's an exception. No other part-timer had worked for so long before.

"But you didn't ask her why she could work during school hours? Why she wasn't in school?." Stef asked, already knowing that it wasn't the manager's job to enforce education.

"She's sixteen." The manager reminded Stef. "We are allowed to give her a job at that age, we don't have to question her about it." He answered, wondering if there was something more he could have done for the girl. "Look, she's a good kid, comes every day, she's never late, doesn't cause any trouble and she's polite and the customers like her. We had no reason to get any more information."

"Okay, what else can you tell me? Any personal information?" Stef asked, now glancing towards a few of Callie's other coworkers as well.

"We don't like hang out outside of work or anything." The girl who'd teased Callie about waiting for Stef answered. "She has a brother Jude who comes with her on Saturdays sometimes but that's all I know."

"She just bags the groceries after I ring them up." The checkout guy at Callie's line answered. "We don't talk much - just small talk. "She's polite to customers, asks about my wife and kids and she'll say she's fine whenever I ask. That's about it."

Stef then turned to the teenager with the red hair, hoping that he would have some more information.

"I had nothing to do with her till you asked me to give her that box that day." The boy answered with a shrug. "She basically keeps to herself."

"She's nice and we all make small talk but we're pretty private and no one here pries." The manager added, having always been thankful that his employees kept to themselves instead of creating a bunch of drama and politics.

"Okay." Stef nodded, taking note of whatever she had been told. She remembered Callie mentioning her father but she didn't have a name or an address or place of work. "Thank you for your help." Stef said with a defeated smile. She pulled out a handful of cards from her pocket and handed them to the manager to hand out to his people. "If you can think of anything else or if she comes back please call me." She instructed earnestly before turning and walking away.

* * *

Callie paced the sidewalk across from the school for over an hour now. She had wandered around the city trying to calm herself down and form a plan. She knew she had to change her life again - she had to run. Stef knew too much about her - she knew she was selling herself which would have been okay if that was all but now she also knew her name and that she worked at the grocery store. She wasn't sure if she knew about Jude or that Jude had been to her house a couple of times already but it was a link and Stef could easily connect it. Each time she'd asked, Jude had told her that there was only Lena and the kids. Luckily Stef hadn't been at the house either time so maybe, if she was really lucky, Stef wouldn't make the connection.

Once Callie had made up her mind that they would have to run she headed towards the school, hoping to grab Jude the moment he walked out of the building. She couldn't risk Stef getting to him first if she found out that they were related. She would take Jude and they would take the long way home, climb in the back of the abandoned building and only have to walk three buildings over to their apartment. If they were careful, and kept their heads down, they could do it unnoticed for Callie wasn't sure how far Stef would go to find her.

Once there, they would pack whatever they needed, leaving behind all unnecessary stuff, and then run - find a new city or maybe even a new state; a new home; a new school and job and start a new life. They had done it before and made it work and they could do it again, Callie was sure of it. Only this time, she would not make the same mistake again; this time she would not let _anyone_ close.


	15. Chapter 15

"What do you mean attacked?" Lena asked as she answered Stef's call.

"Bruises on her face, wrist and god knows where else." Stef answered sadly. "I'm pretty sure it was one of the Johns but she because so angry and defensive and then she took off."

"Couldn't you arrest her or something?" Lena asked, hating the fact that the girl was now missing and would probably stay hidden for a while at least.

"On what grounds Lena?" Stef questioned. "She hasn't done anything - at least not that I have any proof and I can't arrest her for being a victim of abuse."

"Just make up an excuse, don't let her run." Lena replied, knowing herself that she sounded ridiculous.

"I searched her name in the system but she hasn't been arrested before so we don't have any records of her." Stef continued. "That is, if Callie even is her real name. For all I know she's made that up too."

"What else do we know about her?" Lena asked, trying to think back to whatever Stef had mentioned.

"She has a dad and a brother." Stef replied.

"Do you think one of them could have hurt her?" Lena asked worriedly.

"I don't think so." Stef answered. "She said it was a one-time fight and the people she worked with said she never came in with bruises that they saw and she never seemed to be in pain."

"But you said they didn't realize it this time either." Lena pointed out.

"I asked if she ever wore makeup like she did today and they said no." Stef replied. "In fact one of the girls apparently even teased her this morning about having a hot date because of all the makeup."

"So what now?" Lena asked, wondering what Stef could do for this child.

"Now we wait and hope that she comes to her senses." Stef replied dejectedly. "I'll check the streets and go back to the store but I'm pretty sure she won't turn up. She's not stupid - she'll find another place to work. There are so many areas like that and we just can't check every single one of them."

* * *

"CALLIE!" Jude ran to his sister in excitement, waving a sheet of paper in front of him and shoving it into her hands the moment he reached her. "I got an A- on my fractions quiz." He answered excitedly.

"That's amazing Jude." Callie said in delight as she momentarily forgot her problems and shared her brother's joy. "I'm so proud of you, how did you manage this, I know I'm not that good a teacher."

"Lena taught me." Jude answered, taking the page back and carefully folding it up to put in his backpack.

"Lena taught you fractions?" Callie asked in surprise. Jude had never mentioned that.

"Not really." Jude answered. "While we were making the apple cinnamon rolls the other day I was following the recipe and I was gonna do something wrong and she told me when you have a whole number then the greater the number the higher the value but when you have fractions the greater the denominator the smaller the value so one upon two is more than one upon three but if it was just two and three then three would be greater." He explained in detail, remembering Lena's lesson. "Today's test was all 'greater than, less than' so it was easy."

"That's great baby." Callie said, feeling somewhat heartbroken at having to tear Jude away from a woman he'd clearly grown close to. She herself was feeling an ache at never seeing Stef again but she'd created this mess and now she had to fix it, no matter what the cost.

"Can I go over again today?" Jude asked. "Lena gonna be baking a cake for Brandon's birthday on Sunday and I'm sure she could use my help."

"I don't think so baby." Callie answered, wishing she could say yes this one last time. But they just didn't have the time and she couldn't risk letting Jude go there either.

"Please Callie." Jude begged in much the same way he'd begged before. "I want to show her my test too and tell her that she helped me."

"I'm sorry Jude, but not today okay." Callie answered. "We have something we really need to do."

"What?" Jude asked, sulking slightly as he began dragging his feet.

"I'll tell you once we get home." Callie answered as they neared their area. She began scanning the streets for Stef or any other cop but so far she hadn't seen any. "Let's hurry." She said, grabbing Jude's hand and rushing along.

Jude began to walk faster and kept his conversation either on Lena or on what they were going to do at home. Callie wasn't sure which topic to encourage for she wasn't sure what to tell Jude about her plans and she hated to hear him long for Lena. But she knew that it was the easier of the two.

"So tell me more about Lena." Callie asked, hoping to engage Jude enough that he won't realize the different route home.

"She's fun." Jude answered. "She always makes nice things and she hugs and kisses us all." He added, like he was one of her kids as well. "Jesus said that when they first lived there Lena would make up the best stories. She said she likes having me over because she misses little kids." Jude smiled proudly. "And she said none of her kids ever helped her in the kitchen like I do."

Callie nodded in all the appropriate places even though her eyes and attention were on scanning the streets. She was keeping a lookout for Stef or any cop for that matter but so far she hadn't seen any.

"Yesterday she was mad at Mariana thought." Jude continued. "She skipped her last class and Lena found out and when Mariana got home she got mad at her." He paused and turned to face Callie then. "She didn't hit her." He said, almost surprised at the fact. "She grounded her for the weekend. Jesus said she was lucky her phone didn't get taken away or else she'd die."

"Not all parents hit." Callie replied to her brother. She knew that he didn't remember anything of their own mom but Callie could not recall her mother ever raising a hand on either of them.

"I wish she was our mom." Jude said sadly. "She'd make everything okay for us."

Callie paused for a moment, biting her lower lip. What she would sacrifice to give Jude a home like that - filled with love and laughter and joy. She wouldn't ever be that kind of mother to her brother and no matter how hard she tried she'd never be able to give him what they could. For the next nine years she'd be dragging him from one place to another trying to keep him out of the system for even once she aged out, he'd still be stuck. If Lena loved Jude as much as he said she did, why couldn't she just adopt him and save him from his misery.

That thought struck Callie for she knew that neither Lena nor Stef would let any harm come to her brother. She had grown attached to Stef for a reason - her compassion and gentleness had drawn Callie to her. Even now she wished that she could just run to the woman and beg for her help but she just didn't have it in her. She was too scared and too distrustful and she'd been on her own for too long. She knew she wouldn't survive in the system again, no matter how good the home. She'd grown accustomed to making her own decisions and living her own life; even if it meant being on the run.

But she didn't have to do that to Jude - he had a place, even if she had to force his way into it. There were people who cared for him and would make sure he didn't get lost in the system. With any luck they would keep him - they'd done it before so why not again?

Callie felt her insides shake as she tried to decide what was best for her brother - a sister that could barely give him what he needed but always on the run or a family that would take care of him - if not personally, then at least find him a good and safe home like their own. Deep inside she trusted them unlike she'd ever trusted anyone before and she knew that if she ever wanted Jude to truly be free of the life they were living; truly have a chance at a future, then she would have to let him go. She was the one in trouble; she was the one who'd made all the mistakes and he shouldn't have to suffer.

"Okay, you can go." Callie finally answered, biting her tongue to keep from crying. "Go play at Jesus', I'll be at the curb at seven to pick you up." She answered.

Jude jumped up and down in excitement, his face glowing with joy. "Thanks Callie." He squealed. "If Lena gives me some cake, I'll bring you a piece." He promised as she turned and began to walk in the opposite direction, towards the home he was growing to love.

"Can I get a hug first?" Callie asked teasingly, though it was killing her to know that this may be the last time she would ever get to hug her little brother again.

Jude turned back and ran to his sister, wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing tight. Callie wrapping her own arms around her brother and held on even tighter. She rested her head on top of his as a few tears finally spilled over. She held in her sobs as she clutched onto his t-shirt for dear life.

"I'm going to play Callie, I'm not dying." Jude teased when his sister didn't let go.

"Sorry." Callie smiled painfully as she pretended everything was fine. "Go on, have fun. I always love you."

"Always love you too." Jude replied as he walked away, completely oblivious to his sister's plans to disappear.


	16. Chapter 16

After sending Jude to Stef's house, Callie had gotten home and thankfully Jayda, her other roommate, had been home to let her in since she'd left her key back at the store in her rush to get away and was too scared to go back for it. For the next hour and a half she packed everything they owned into their two suitcases and her backpack and by six-thirty she was ready to put her plan into action. She grabbed a brown paper bag from under the sink and filled it with a few select items, taped it shut and wrote a short note on the outside for her brother. She then grabbed her backpack and the brown paper bag and headed towards the curb where Jude would soon come to meet her.

It was just a quarter to seven and Callie was standing at the curb behind a car watching the front door of the house, waiting for it to open, when she noticed a car enter their driveway. Her heart beat faster as she noticed Stef get out and head towards the front door. She never expected the woman to get home so early. So far, each time Jude had been over he'd always said that there was only Lena home and she had counted on Stef being away long enough for her to actually carry out her plan. The only thing Callie could be thankful for the darkening sky that allowed her to stay out of sight while she kept watch on the house that would hopefully be her brother's new home.

* * *

Stef had spent the whole day trying to find out whatever she could about Callie. After finishing up with the store she's once again called the mechanic in Spring Valley just to confirm that he didn't know Callie and then she went back to the station and had him looked up just to be sure. After that she'd gone back down to the street where she'd first arrested Callie and asked people there for any information on the girl but not one would speak. Stef had to admit that their loyalty to each other was far stronger than most people she knew. After failing at that route too Stef decided to call it a day and headed back home a little early, hoping to get a good night's sleep and a fresh start again tomorrow. She was determined to find this girl and help her if it was the last thing she did.

Just as Stef reached the house and was about to turn the doorknob, the door flew open and out rushed a little kid with Lena right behind.

"Whoa." Stef said, moving out of the way dramatically to make room for the whirlwind about to crash into her.

"Sorry." Jude smiled apologetically as he stopped to say hi to Stef.

"Hi, I'm Stef." Stef answered. "You must be the mystery kid that makes my wife and kids smile so much."

Jude's smile widened greatly as he glanced up at Lena, thrilled to be the reason she's happy.

"Jude, this is my wife Stef." Lena introduced.

But before the name could really register in Stef's mind, Jude was already moving on past introductions.

"I made cake." Jude announced proudly as he held up a small box that Lena had given him with his share of their treat.

"I can't wait to try it on Sunday." Stef said, her eyes gleaming. "I bet it tastes extra delicious this year."

"It does." Jude nodded. "I tasted it myself."

"I'll bet you did." Stef laughed, imagining the young boy licking up the beaters just like her own children used to do.

"I gotta go." Jude finally said, knowing that Callie would be waiting for him. "My mom said I had to be home by seven."

"Bye bud." Lena smiled affectionately. "Don't forget to ask her if you can come over on Sunday afternoon to celebrate Brandon's birthday."

"I won't." Jude called out with a wave and disappeared down the street.

* * *

Callie watched as Jude walked away and the two women closed the door behind him before she placed the brown paper bag in the center of the sidewalk and then ran and hid behind a tree in someone's yard. She kept watch as Jude walked past the four houses between Stef's house and where she usually waited for him, desperately wanting to just grab him and run but knowing, hoping, that she was doing the right thing by leaving him behind.

Jude finally reached the curb where Callie usually waited for him and looked around in confusion. It wasn't like his sister to be late. He noticed the bag on the ground and walked to it and picked it up. He was surprised to find his name written on the top.

 _Jude,_

 _Take this to Lena's house and ask her to give it to Stef. I had to run away but I_ _couldn't_ _take you with me. Trust them, they will keep you safe. I'm so sorry Jude, I love you forever._

 _Callie._

Jude looked around in complete fear as tears began to pour down his face. He had been a parentless child since he was four years old, he'd been abused, starved and lived on the streets but he had never once felt the kind of fear he was feeling right now. Through all of that he'd always had his sister looking out for him but now, for the first time, he was completely alone.

With tears pouring down her own face, Callie watched her brother clutch the bag tightly and run back down the street towards Lena. Through blurry eyes she watched him bang furiously on their door and finally their door swing open as both women came to see what had happened. She sobbed as Jude handed Stef the bag directly and watched as Stef read the note. She saw the woman hurriedly open up the bag and pull out a note and the macaroni box and even from this distance she could see the shock on Stef's face as she began connecting all the dots. She ducked back behind the tree as Stef quickly glanced up and down the street and then pulled a still sobbing Jude into the house. And only once the door was shut behind them did Callie turn and walk away for good.


	17. Chapter 17

"She's gone." Jude cried the moment the door opened. "She left me. She promised she'd never leave me." He wailed as he thrust the bag into Stef's hands even though he didn't really know the woman.

"Jude, honey." Lena said gently as she was about to reach for the boy but the gasp from her wife stopped her. "What?" She asked.

"Callie is Jude's sister." Stef whispered in surprised as she saw the name on the bag. She quickly opened it up and pulled out it's contents - a note and a box. But one look at the box told her everything she needed to know. She looked around for the girl but she knew she wouldn't find her that easily. She quickly grabbed the young boy in front of her and pulled him inside. If she had any hope of this whole thing ending her way then she had to start working on it immediately.

* * *

"Jude, I need you to tell me everything you know." Stef said firmly once she finished reading the note that Callie had left for her, asking her to please keep Jude safe and love him like she did her own children.

The boy sat in front of her on the couch with Lena beside him. He was definitely more comfortable with Lena and Stef was willing to use a bit of firmness to get what she needed from him in order to find his sister.

Jude remained silent as he continued to cry. He wasn't sure what to say because his sister had told him over and over again that he was never to tell anyone the truth. The only story he was to tell was the one of the mother working two jobs.

"My mom is a single mom because my dad left when I was little and my mom works two jobs so support us but it's hard. My sister is seventeen and she watches me during the day. My mom was just a kid when my sister as born but she said she wouldn't trade any of it for the world." Jude rambled almost incoherently and immediately Stef and Lena knew that this was just a cover story. The way he was telling it was proof enough that he had memorized it and while he usually only answered parts that were particularly asked for, this time he was just spitting it all out.

"Honey, we need to know the real story." Lena encouraged gently, making Jude look even more miserable. He was only nine years old and had no idea what the right thing to do was. All he wanted was his sister back but he didn't want her to be mad at him for not doing what she'd always told him.

"Jude, you see this?" Stef asked, holding out the macaroni box. "I gave that to Callie, see that's my name and my number on there." She explained as she handed him the box. "I told her that if she was ever in trouble and needed my help then she could call me. Now I'm guessing that since she gave you that box and told you to come and give it to me, she trusted me to help you."

Jude looked down at the box and then back up at Stef, his eyes filling with a fresh batch of tears as he once again began reciting the paragraph engrained into his brain. "My mom is a single mom because my dad left when..."

Stef and Lena both sighed as they glanced at one another wondering what they could say to make the boy actually talk. She knew that she could go down to the station and search Callie's name along with Jude's and see what came up but there was no guarantee anything would show up and even if it did, it could take too long. She needed all the information right now and this was the quickest way to get it.

"She promised she'd never leave me." Jude sobbed again when he didn't know what else to say. "She always said she'd never leave me. She promised." He cried, looking painfully at Lena for answers. "I want my sister." He whined like a toddler and with no warning he threw himself into Lena's arms and clung to her for dear life.

Stef watched as Lena held the tiny boy and rocked him like he was her own son and her heart ached for these two children who had no one but each other. She wanted more than anything to fix this but she didn't know how. She couldn't bare to see Jude so scared and she couldn't even imagine what the missing girl was feeling. She was obviously everything to her brother and now she hoped that that was enough to get him to talk.

"Jude, Callie may need help." Stef tried a different tactic. "She ran because she thought she was in trouble but the truth is she was hurt and she couldn't ask for help. Now she gave you this box and told you to come here but she has nobody anymore and maybe she really needs you to help her. If you can tell me everything then I can find her and keep her safe and she won't be alone anymore." Stef said, hoping to guilt the truth out of the kid.

Jude looked up at Lena with wide eyes. He had never thought about Callie being alone. All he had realized was that she'd left him but that also meant that she had no one left and maybe he could do something about it. He turned back to Stef, clearly still scared but at a loss for what to do. Stef was right - Callie had told him to trust them and so that's just what he'd do.

"Do you have parents?" Stef asked softly.

Slowly Jude began to shake his head, for the first time in almost a year giving someone an honest answer.

* * *

"So you two ran away but you don't remember how long ago." Stef confirmed as she tried to keep track of all she had learnt.

"I was still eight years old." Jude offered the only information he could think of.

"Okay." Stef nodded. "When did you turn nine?"

"November seventeen." Jude answered.

"Okay, what else can you remember?" Stef asked. "Do you remember where you lived before you ran?"

"No." Jude replied. "We weren't there very long and my foster father got mad at me for crying and he was gonna hit me so Callie stopped him and then that night we ran away."

"Then what?" Stef asked, glad that the boy was at least talking, even if he didn't remember too much.

"We stayed on the streets and Callie worked and then she sent me to school and then my teacher got made because I had lice and I didn't do my homework and then they asked me if my parents gave me food or hurt me. I told Callie and so she began working more and I had to go with her after school. She worked at the grocery store and after I went to sleep she went to a diner on the freeway to work the night shift."

Both Stef and Lena had to clamp their mouths shut as they realized just what Callie had actually been doing while her brother was sleeping soundly. It sickened them to know that the kid was selling herself in order to put a roof over their heads.

"Then one day we found an apartment and we moved in and we live there now with Debbie and Jayda." Jude finished.

"Do you know how to get there?" Stef asked, hoping that in that apartment they would find some answers.

Jude nodded and within ten minutes Stef, Lena and Jude were driving down towards the apartment.

* * *

Stef kept her eyes peeled as they walked down the street towards the apartment Jude was leading them to. It was the same street she'd run down chasing Callie just weeks before and now she was back looking for the same girl and hoping like hell that she would find her.

"Here." Jude said, as he turned into one of the buildings that made Lena cringe. It was dirty and dark and she was pretty sure the small item she stepped on was a discarded condom. But she followed Stef and Jude as she held on protectively to the young boy's hand.

Stef knocked on the door that Jude led her to and within moments it was opened by a young girl with short, dark hair, a skirt that was way too short and a bright pink bra, a makeup brush in her and and overdone eyeshadow already on her eyes.

The girl's eyes went wide with fear as she glanced first at Stef and then Lena and finally at Jude.

"Jude?" She said in surprise as she once again glanced at the blond in front of her and it was only then that Stef realized that she was still in her uniform. She hadn't yet had a chance to change when Jude came banging on their door.

"We're just looking for Callie." Stef explained, holding her hands up in a non-threatening way. This was a fight for another time. "She's not in trouble, we just think she's hurt and scared and too afraid to ask for help." She said to the girl with wide, worried eyes.

"Jayda!" Debbie yelled into the house, her eyes focused on Stef the entire time. "You seen Callie?" She asked.

"She came home a while ago, went straight to her room and then about an hour ago." Someone called from inside.

"Can we have a look in her room?" Stef questioned. She didn't have a warrant but she hoped that having Jude with them would prompt the girls to cooperate.

"Come on." Jude said as he made his way into the house and towards their room. Debbie and now Jayda both standing and watching in various states of dress.

Stef followed Jude as he opened the door and she felt a growing sense of defeat when she found two bags neatly packed and kept ready for her brother. Obviously Callie had known that Jude would tell them the truth and that they'd show up here looking for her. But that also meant that she had taken extra care not to leave behind any information.

"She's really gone?" Jude said softly as he looked around the now empty room save for the two bags on the bed. He walked over to one of them and opened it and found all his clothes inside, he then opened the smaller one and found his books and school work, shoes and other items she'd bought him over the last eight months. There wasn't one thing of hers to be seen.

Lena, who had thus far been completely clueless as to what to do, now walked towards the boy and held him close. He buried his face in her stomach and cried as he wrapped his arms around her. Right now she was the closest thing he had to family and he hadn't even known her a month. His whole life now depended on these two women and he couldn't understand how Callie could have just left him like that.

Stef, feeling just as defeated and lost sat down on the bed trying to wrack her mind for their next step. She still held macaroni box in her hand and she looked down at it, tracing her finger over the message she's written for Callie. She just wished that the girl had actually called her instead of running off like that. She knew the girl trusted her for there was no way she would have left Jude with them if she didn't but why didn't she trust her enough to keep her safe as well?

As Stef stared at the message, wishing that things had been different, she suddenly noticed that the box had been opened and then taped shut again. She frowned as she peeled the tape back. Normally she would have thought that the macaroni was just used up but the box was too heavy to be empty so something was obviously in there. As she opened the box she was surprised to find two rolls of money held together with rubber-bands. A post it around one said _Jude - college_ and the other said _emergencies_. Stef quickly opened up the bundles and counted over seven thousand dollars in Jude's bundle and five thousand in the emergency one. Stef wondered whether or not Callie had even taken any money with her or had she left it all for Jude and it made her angry to think about how the girl had made this money in the first place.

"It's going to be okay." Stef heard Lena say to Jude as she continued to comfort the terrified child.

"What's going to happen to me?" Jude asked. He had never been without his sister his entire life and now he had no idea how to go on without her.

"You'll stay with us until we find her." Lena promised, glancing at Stef to let her know that she wasn't going to send the boy anywhere. It was already clear to both women that these children were already part of their family.

"I won't give up." Stef promised as she turned around to join the other two. "I will keep looking for her and I won't give up until I find her." She promised again, looking Jude straight in the eye.


	18. Chapter 18

"Okay tell me again." Stef said as she sat Jude down on the bed and had him answer all the questions once again, hoping that maybe she'd missed something before. "When you woke up..."

"Callie would take me to school and then she went to the grocery store for work. Then she'd pick me up after school and we'd hang out for a while then go home and she'd help me with my homework while she made dinner or we waited for takeout. Then I'd go to sleep and she'd go to the diner and come back before I woke up."

"And what about weekends?" Stef questioned.

"She only worked some Saturdays when she had to make up for missing a day. Then I would go with her and help her bag the groceries or sit and do homework. Sunday she didn't work." Jude answered.

"What if you had a holiday or if you were sick?" Stef asked, wondering if there was someone else they spent time with.

"She stayed home with me." Jude replied.

"Okay, what else?" Stef tried to think of what she was missing. "You said she didn't have a cellphone."

"No, we'd use the one in the corner store. Mr. Diaz doesn't even charge us to use it anymore." Jude answered. "Sometimes he even lets me pick something off the candy rack for free too but Callie gets mad at me for taking anything because she says it's wrong."

"He lets you use his phone?" Stef questioned, hope growing once again.

"Yeah." Jude answered. "Sometimes Callie has to call the school when I'm sick or when she needs a day off from work she uses his phone."

"Okay, let's go see if we can get any information there." Stef suggested as she got up and started walking, Jude and Lena following behind.

"Mr. Diaz. " Jude called out as he entered the half dark store. It was already past nine and the store was already closed. "Mr. Diaz." Jude called out again."

"Hey Jude." A grey-haired man called out as he came to the front of the store. "What's up big guy."

But the man stopped short the moment he noticed Stef behind the boy. "May I help you." He asked, looking worriedly at Jude.

"My name is Officer Stef Foster and I'm helping Jude here to find his sister." Stef explained, hoping the man wouldn't be too afraid for Callie's sake to answer. "We believe that something happened and she got scared and ran." Stef explained.

"She just left me." Jude said sadly looking up at the man who'd become his friend.

"I don't know where she is." Mr. Diaz said nervously to Stef before turning back to Jude - A look that didn't go unnoticed by the cop. "I'm sure she didn't just leave you." Mr. Diaz said in a less than convincing voice. "I'm sure she'll come back for you, why don't you go wait for her at home." He suggested skeptically.

"Honey, why don't you take Jude to the back and let him pick out something to eat, he must be hungry." Stef suggested to Lena as she motioned to the packaged food area in the back that had some ready to eat meals.

Lena nodded, understanding immediately at Stef wanted to talk to the shop owner alone. She gently placed a hand on Jude's back and guided him to the back of the store out of earshot of the conversation about to happen.

"Look, I know you're not telling me everything so I'm going to need you to start answering me immediately." Stef said firmly as she glared at the man in front of her.

"I already told you, I don't know anything." Mr. Diaz said without looking at Stef. "I don't know why you're asking me."

"Call it a hunch." Stef answered somewhat bitterly.

"Well you must be wrong because she won't just leave her brother - those two are inseparable." Mr. Diaz said in a confidant tone and Stef realized that he truly believed that.

"Well she did." Stef said sadly but gently. "She left him with my wife and me with a note asking us to take care of him." Stef explained as she pulled the note out of her pocket and handed it to the man as proof. She could see his eyes soften as well and realized that he was just trying to protect them as much as he could. "Look, I already know what Callie does for a living and I know that she's in some sort of trouble and she's afraid to ask for help. I also know that you know more than you're telling me so please, do these kids a favor and tell me what you know." Stef begged.

"She came in here about two hours ago asking to make a phone call." Mr. Diaz said hesitantly, still unsure whether or not he was doing the right thing. "Now I don't usually pay attention to people using the phone but this time I heard her asking for bus information and so I was listening out of curiosity."

"What did she say?" Stef asked, desperate for whatever information the man could give her.

"She asked for bus timings and prices to New York." Mr. Diaz answered. "I thought it was strange but I didn't think she was running away or that she would leave her brother behind."

"Did she book anything?" Stef asked worriedly.

"I don't know." The shop owner replied. "I only heard one side of the conversation and I was dealing with customers as well. Like I said, I didn't expect her to run so I wasn't paying too much attention."

"Okay thank you." Stef said sincerely, hoping that at least this information would be enough to give her a lead on how to track the missing teen down.

"You're not gonna arrest her are you?" Mr. Diaz asked worriedly. Now that he'd given them their information he hoped that he hadn't made things worse for Callie. "She's a good kid." He said sincerely. "Always polite, never asks to take something and pay later, takes real good care of the boy."

"I know." Stef smiled sadly, fully aware of just how well Callie had looked after Jude. "I won't arrest her." She assured the man. "I just want to find her and never let her out of my sight again." She answers honestly.

Mr. Diaz frowned slightly at the answer he received. He hadn't expected it from the cop but suddenly he could tell that Stef wasn't just questioning him as a cop looking for a missing person but more like a mother looking for her missing kid.

"I hope you find her and I hope she's okay." He said, his eyes kind. "And if you do, please let me know." He requested as he pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down his number on it. "If there's anything else I can do to help, just ask."

"Thank you." Stef smiled, feeling like crying all over again. She quickly pulled out a twenty dollar note and handed it to the man. "For whatever they took." She said, motioning to Lena and Jude in the back.

"It's on me." Mr. Diaz said, pushing her hand back gently. "It's the least I can do."

Stef smiled gratefully before pulling out her cellphone so that she could call the bus depot and find out what she could about Callie's whereabouts.


	19. Chapter 19

Stef called the bus depot and found out that the next but to New York left in half an hour at ten-thirty. The last one left over five hours ago so Callie obviously hadn't gotten onto that and the one after the next would only leave the following morning. Now Stef had to just make it to the bus depot within the next half an hour and hopefully she could catch Callie before she disappeared, that was assuming she was actually heading on the New York bound bus.

Stef explained what she'd learned to Lena and Jude and then with Mr. Diaz's permission, told them to stay in the store and called Mike to come and get them. She didn't have the time to drive them home first and she didn't want them finding their own way back. She also didn't want to take them with her in case she had to rush around. Dragging Jude through it all might just slow her down or upset him even further. The best thing was for them to go home and wait while she found out whatever she could.

After calling Mike, Stef took off as fast as she could hoping like hell she didn't run into any traffic along the way. It would take her twenty minutes to get across town on a good day but if she got stuck anywhere then she'd really be cutting it close. She wished she had one of the police cruisers so she could start the sirens but all she had was her own GMC Terrain. Stef stepped on the gas and wove through the traffic, receiving several abuses along the way she was sure - but right now she didn't care - her sole goal right now was to get to Callie before she had a chance to run away and if she managed to make it out of the state, or even the city for that matter, it would be a hundred times harder to find her.

* * *

Jude hadn't let go of Lena's hand for hours now. He basically clung to her like she was the only thing left and Lena wasn't sure what to do. She couldn't keep promising that everything would be alright for the simple reason that she didn't know. She could promise that they would do all they could to find Callie and she could promise that they would keep him safe but she couldn't do much more than that.

Mike had come to get them from he shop and then driven them home and Lena had had to sit in the back with the boy for he had just attached himself to her. At home the three kids also tried to engage Jude in some activity or the other to try and keep his mind off things but Jude just couldn't be consoled. Jesus suggested video games and Mariana suggested they watch _Despicable Me_. Even Brandon had pitched in and brought down an armful of games for them to play but within a few minutes of each activity Jude would find his way back to Lena and ask her once again what was going to happen now.

Each time Lena thought about it she wanted to tell him that he'd stay right here. She just didn't have the heart to send the boy away if, god forbid, they didn't find his sister. She knew that Stef would be okay with it - maybe a little worried at first about how they would manage but eventually she would come around for she had grown just as close to these two kids as Lena had. But it was the system that Lena didn't trust for time and time again they had put spokes in wheels that were turning beautifully. What if they weren't allowed to foster Jude for whatever stupid reason or what if they decided Jude required a group home because technically, whether it was his decision or not, he was a runaway. And the worst was what if they couldn't be all that Jude needed them to be. He had basically now lost every single person in his life and he was only nine years old. What kind of damage did that do and would they be enough to help him.

"We are going to get into pajamas and start the movie up again and wait for Stef." Lena said with a sad smile for she had no other more permanent answer for the child.

Jude's face sank as he was once again told less than he was hoping for. All he wanted was for someone to say that everything would be okay; that they would find Callie and that they would go back to their regular lives; that tomorrow, when he woke up, this would all just be a horrible, horrible nightmare.

"Come on, the minions in this movie are adorable." Mariana offered with a smile as she hit play on the DVD. "I guarantee that they will have you laughing your guts out in no time." She said with a smile, hoping that she could get Jude's mind off his worries even for just a short time.

But it didn't really work for as the movie played on, even though silence had filled the living room, Lena could feel Jude's body shudder every-so-often as he cried quietly into her side.

* * *

"COME ON!" Stef yelled as she banged her hands against the steering wheel in frustration when the line of cars in front of her just wouldn't move any faster. She had been moving at under ten miles an hour for the last five minutes now and she had no idea why. "I could _walk_ faster than this." She mumbled to herself as she tried to change lanes, hoping, but knowing she it was futile, that the next lane would move a bit faster.

Slowly, much too slowly for Stef, the cars moved on and after another two or three minutes Stef came to the cause of the back up - an eighteen-wheeler had broken down and they had tried to tow it to the side but it was just too heavy and as a result it was now standing across two of the three lanes and so all the cars were bottlenecked into the one remaining lane.

Stef finally got her turn through the narrow passage and the moment she was on the other side she sped off down the road, well over the speed limit, to make up for the lost time. If a cop stopped her now she would really be screwed but, thankfully, luck was on her side and there were no red and blue lights flashing behind her. She quickly but carefully wove her way through the cars and at exactly ten-twenty-three she could see the busses lined up at the depot. She was barely two minutes away from her destination but the nearer Stef got the more nervous she became for if this turned out to be a dead end then she was back to square one and this time she would have absolutely know idea where to start over.


	20. Chapter 20

Stef sat in the darkness of her car as a wave of relief washed over her and her neck and shoulders began to ache from the tension she'd been under for the last so many hours. But she finally felt like she could breath again as she sat there in her car looking at the sad, slumped girl sitting alone on a bench, looking down at what seemed to be her shoelaces.

* * *

Callie knew she had screwed up big time. For a while things seemed to have been going perfectly. Yes, she wasn't too thrilled about having to have sex with a bunch of random people in order to survive, but the rest had been pretty blissful. They had found a decent place to live with a couple of friendly but uninterefering girls, Jude was in school and doing well enough to stay off the teacher's radar, they had had food to eat and clothes to wear. They even had savings and a bit saved for Jude's education and even a little extra for presents and treats occasionally. But most of all they had had each other.

But now they didn't even have that. Callie had messed it up for both of them. Now, all she could hope was that she'd done the right thing for Jude by leaving him behind. Her gut instinct told her that she had for her connection with the blond was unmistakeable. Even now, with all her mistakes, she wanted nothing more than for the blond to just show up and magically make everything better. But she knew it was futile for there was no way the cop could fix all this. She'd committed several crimes starting from running away from the foster system and ending with prostitution and the only thing Stef could do was arrest her. So once again she had to run and start all over but this time she could give Jude some stability.

Callie sat there wondering what she was going to do now. Where would she go and would she go back to the streets. This time she didn't have Jude to take care of so even if she had to live on the streets for a while she could manage. She could also work long, flexible hours so maybe she could get by with working in restaurants or other odd jobs instead of the streets. Though Callie knew that with her education and the fact that she had to lay low until she turned eighteen nothing was going to pay her the way the streets did. Callie felt like crying as she thought about having to make new friends with girls that didn't want her around to steal their business; new guys that looked at her like nothing more than a piece of meat and a new place where there were no familiar faces, no place she could call her own and no one that she belonged to.

"Is running away really the answer?" A voice said that made Callie jump in surprise. In the back of her mind she'd heard someone walk up and sit down on the other end of the bench but she'd just assumed it was a fellow passenger, waiting for their bus and she hadn't expected conversation, let alone a direct, personal question.

"You plan to keep running for the rest of your life?" Stef asked once Callie was looking up at her.

The young girl was still staring at her, open mouthed and wide eyed though she hadn't yet said a word. Then, surprising them both, Callie threw her arms around the blond and just held on so tight as though Stef might just disappear if she ever let go.

"I told you to call me when you needed me; now was the time to call." Stef said firmly as she held the girl just as tight, letting Callie know that she had genuinely meant what she'd said.

"There was nothing you could do." Callie replied with a shrug as she finally released Stef. She didn't tell her that she had tried calling and that her phone was unreachable but she also knew that even if Stef had come there wasn't much she could do - the damage was already done and she would just prove to Stef that she was a prostitute.

"You haven't given me a chance." Stef shot back. She knew that her being a cop was difficult for Callie, considering her age and her line of work but if she'd just had the chance she would have done everything in her power to get Callie the help she needed.

"I gave it Jude." Callie answered, knowing that he would need it more than her.

"And what about you?" Stef asked, wondering if the girl really felt so little about herself.

"I made too many mistakes." Callie answered dejectedly, looking back down at her shoes.

"And this one was the biggest." Stef said, surprising Callie. She wasn't sugarcoating anything, just stating it all as it was. "You left him and he is scared and alone with a couple of strangers."

"He knows Lena and Jesus." Callie replied. It was like he was already a part of them and their family.

"They are still strangers." Stef pointed out. "So he came to our house a couple of times, that doesn't just mean he knows us."

"It was the best I could do for him." Callie said angrily, getting defensive about her actions. "It's better than making him run away all the time."

"But it's okay for you?" Stef asked, just as forcefully as Callie but without the anger. "You can keep running."

"I don't matter." Callie answered in resignation.

"Yes you do." Stef replied firmly. "You matter just as much."

"You don't know that." Callie replied bitterly. "You barely know me. You say that Jude doesn't know Lena after having met him only a few times, well that works for us to. For all you know I'm a murderer or a thief or something. Maybe I'm a horrible person that's better off disappearing.

"Maybe." Stef answered in acceptance, surprising Callie. "Maybe I don't know you and maybe if I did get to know you I wouldn't like you, maybe you are nothing but trouble."

Callie looked a little unsettled as she listened to Stef for she had no idea where this conversation was going.

"Maybe you've made a ton of mistakes but you know what - you matter. To Jude you matter despite all the mistakes and bad decisions you've made. He needed you and you let him down." Stef said bluntly.

"I did what was best for him." Callie defended once again as her voice cracked with emotion.

"You promised him you'd never leave him, no matter what." Stef reminded Callie of the promise Jude had told her about. "You made him that promise and today you broke it."

Callie looked like she'd been crushed as she finally realized just what Jude must be feeling. She hadn't thought about any of that. All she'd seen was an opportunity to give him a chance at a real life. She hadn't seen them all as strangers but as a way out for her brother. She thought he'd be happy to finally have a family to call his own. She knew that it was a risk but she also knew it was one she would bet her life on for those two women had done nothing but prove to her that they cared. They'd already adopted before so why not again. Lena loved Jude and Jude loved Lena so it all worked out.

Stef gently laid an arm around Callie's shoulders and pulled her closer, trying to give her as much comfort as she could without giving in to Callie. They still had more to talk about and she still had to make sure that Callie changed her mind about wanting to run for even if she did force her to stay today, if she was determined to disappear then she'd find another day to do it.

"I can help you Callie." Stef said softly. "I can help you get out of this mess."

But Callie just shook her head as she stared at the schedule board in front of her, a distant, dejected look in her eyes. "You can't." She said miserably. "I've made too many mistakes. If I listed them, you'd probably throw me in jail."

"Or maybe I could help you fix those mistakes." Stef suggested as she watched the girl.

Callie finally looked back at Stef, not fully believing the woman. Maybe she did believe that Stef wanted to help but she wasn't so sure that Stef _could_ help. "I've stolen, run away, lied, forged signatures, been a prostitute." She admitted out loud for the first time. "I can't even remember them all." She shook her head sadly.

"We'll work on them." Stef assured. "We'll fix them slowly, one step at a time. But first we gotta get you home." She pointed out.

"They've probably already given my room to another girl by now." Callie answered. "They would have done it the second they knew I was gone."

"My home." Stef clarified what she'd meant.

Once again Callie looked up, surprised by Stef's answer. "Why?" She asked with a frown.

"Because, I told you I'd be there if you needed me." Stef gently reminded her once again.

Callie thought back to how she'd first felt about this woman sitting in front of her. From the very first time they met her instinct had told her to trust this woman and she hadn't been wrong. Stef had done absolutely everything for her without ever really even knowing her and now here she was again, at close to midnight, trying to convince her to take a chance.

As Callie thought about her options she glanced up at the schedule board once again and this time she actually looked at it and noticed that it was eleven-fifteen. They had been sitting here for forty-five minutes and her bus to New York was long gone. She'd missed it but the thing was that she wasn't sad about it. In fact, she was happy that she hadn't had the time to run. She was happy that Stef had gotten to her first. She was happy that she was getting a second chance with the woman who basically promised to save her life.

"Okay." Callie finally said as she looked up at Stef and nodded.

Stef smiled at the girl and squeezed her even tighter, her eyes filling with tears of relief one could only shed for the people they loved.

"Let's go home." Stef whispered, feeling her heart swell as it grew to incorporate two more people.


	21. Chapter 21

**Epilogue**

Stef remained true to her word and slowly but surely she helped Callie climb out of the hole she'd dug. First she'd reregistered Callie and Jude into the foster system and then pulled every string she could and used whatever influence possible to get custody of them. Next she had Callie checked out completely by their family doctor to make sure that she hadn't picked up anything during her time on the streets. They went to Jude's school and officially enrolled him in for the rest of that year, planning to have him transferred to Anchor Beach for the next. She then took Callie back to the grocery store so she could officially quit her job and then straight to Anchor Beach where Lena was waiting for her with a placement test. Lena worked tirelessly with both kids to get them caught up in school to ensure both their spots at her school where she could have them both close. And last, but definitely not the least, Stef had given Callie the love and care that she had so desperately needed. She would remind Callie over and over again that she was important and that no matter how many mistakes she'd made she was worth the trouble. For the first time in five years Callie was the one getting goodnight kisses and pleasant surprises instead of only giving them.

Things hadn't gone completely smoothly right from the start though. When they did get home Jude had first hugged her and cried into her clothes and then yelled at her with a rage that she didn't know he had. He had told her in no uncertain terms just how much he hated her for leaving him and then he refused to go anywhere near her for the better part of the week until Stef and Lena were able to help him understand what Callie was going through. Stef had kept Callie on a short leash, refusing to let her go anywhere unaccompanied until she was sure that Callie wasn't going to run and Lena had made Callie work extra hard at school work to avoid having to put her in a lower grade. She was determined to get Callie through school whether Callie liked it or not. And apart from that Callie had community service as a court appointed punishment, group and individual therapy to help her cope with all she'd been through and a personal punishment from Stef to volunteer at _Urban Angels_ ; the local soup kitchen where Callie could really get an idea of what her life would have been like had she continued on the path she was on.

The three kids were more welcoming than Callie had expected. Jude already seemed like one of the family by the time she got there but they were warm towards her as well although they each took it upon themselves to describe for Callie just how scared Jude had been during her absence. It felt more like he was their brother instead of her's and they were angry with her for hurting him.

But slowly, as time went by, things settled down. Jude once again learned to trust her though he confidently went to Lena and Stef when he needed something. Callie learned that she wasn't the decision-maker anymore and that she had rules to follow and obey. It was a task, especially when it came to something they were used to doing their own way but with guidance and firmness she learned to do as she was told, especially when they gave her legitimate reasons to do so.

And by the end of the year, just eight months after she came to live with them, Callie's life had completely turned around. She was happy and more free than she'd ever been. When she had run away from her last foster home she had thought that they would be free to live their own lives, make their own decisions and do things their own way but she hadn't realized that she would be giving up her freedom to be a kid and now Stef and Lena had given her that freedom back and Callie was cherishing ever minute of it.

"Thank you." Callie said that night just like she did each night when Stef came by to say goodnight to her. And just like every other night Stef replied, "I love you." Then she kissed Callie on the head, did the same to Mariana and left the room, content that all her kids were safe and sound under her roof.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

So I wanted this story to be different and I think I managed to do that. It wasn't always easy for each time I found myself making Stef approach Callie instead of the other way around but eventually I got it to go the way I wanted.

I wanted to point out that Stef didn't just look at Jude and realize that he looked like Callie because by the way the show is written they can't look alike. If Callie looks like Sophia then she obviously got her looks from Robert's side of the family and Jude is not biologically related to Robert so by that definition he doesn't look like Callie. It added to the drama and made it a bit of a bigger puzzle for Stef. Plus, I liked the idea of using the macaroni box to make the connection. It was just a simple box picked randomly off a shelf but it held so much importance.

I really enjoyed this story because it was quite a challenge. Creating the balance between the Callie had had to protect her life vs the Callie that wanted to be near Stef was hard and making the decision to have Callie literally abandon Jude was harder. Each time she'd done it before, they had already been living with the Fosters but this time she was taking a chance but I wanted to show just how much she trusted Stef while doing that. She knew the woman would come through for her and that's why she did it.

Thanks so much for all the amazing reviews, it makes writing so worthwhile. My next post will be a story I'm helping someone else write and I hope you like that too because it's amazing and different but alongside that I'll be getting back to **HISTORY** and working on another story of my own. I'll post as soon as possible.

Hope you enjoyed this journey as much as I did. Keep writing cuz I love reading your stuff.

Love Junebug (And 14 month old Babybug)


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